Sadin's Revival: The Sequel to Seven Years
by Wallcrawler86
Summary: Continuing a tale of love through time, of fighting to preserve destiny, friendship, and love. SS 31 chapters, FINISHED.
1. Rain

Gomen-nasi, to you all. I'm sorry for having this out so late. But I had so much going on lately, and I had to wait for someone to check over this.. Life ahs been hectic. But I have the sequel to my last story, Seven Years. So if you have not read that, please do so now. If you have. then get ready to hate me. Because not only is this chapter short, but it will make you cry and possibly confuse me. But I'll have chapter 2 tomorrow, which should be a lot longer. Enjoy!  
  
Sadin's Revival  
The sequel to Seven Years by Wallcrawler86  
  
Chapter 1- Rain  
  
It had been a month since Sakura and Syaoran had traveled to the future to stop the evil demon. They had returned safe and sound to see their world was back to normal. Life proceeded as normal. Everything seemed to be back on track. until something almost unreal happened.  
  
The rain slowly soaked the cold ground of the cemetery and everyone around. It began to get heavier and heavier. But no one really paid any attention. Everyone was wetter from his or her tears than the rain.  
  
Everyone sat in their seats with eyes full of tears. They all paid close attention to the ministers words. all except one auburn-haired boy in his finest black suit. He sat staring at the ground. He sniffled and rubbed the tears out of his eyes. "No. It can't be true. You can't do this to me. it's not fair!" He looked to his right to see Tomoyo with her camcorder. But she wasn't her usual cheerful self. She looked almost cold and emotionless. Syaoran had never seen her this way. He couldn't take it.  
  
To his left was Touya. By now, he would have expected some insult at him, or him to at least refuse to sit next to him. But today. Syaoran saw another side of Touya. He just stared in shock at the minister ahead and cried. Syaoran couldn't look at him.  
  
Kero poked his head out of Tomoyo's hair and watched, remaining motionless.  
  
Everyone else could be seen, sitting in the rain, only crying and holding hands to comfort each other. Yukito held Touya's hand, but he seems just as distressed if not worse than his friend.  
  
Meilin leaned against a wall next to Syaoran's sisters and his mother Yelan, who had all come all the way from China just for this ceremony. None of his sisters were their usual perky selves.  
  
"This can't be real. it's not possible." Syaoran slammed his hand into the moist ground. "It's unreal. It's surreal. and yet. it's really happening." Syaoran began to burst into tears, but he tried to hold it in. For the rest of the ceremony, he just sat in complete silence, staring at the ground in confusion and shock.  
  
Fujitaka was bawling in front of Syaoran, sitting next to a young dark- haired girl who cried as well. A young Eriol starred in astonishment.  
  
The rain began to pour down in buckets just as the minister finished speaking. Everyone was getting soaked to the bone and began to run for indoors, but it was hard to see in the downpour. Syaoran's hair was pushed into his eyes. He was the only one who didn't run. He watched everyone, Touya, Meiling, Fujitaka, Eriol, Mrs. Kaho, his sisters, and Tomoyo run for the church.  
  
Syaoran sat in silence for a moment before finally standing up. The rain was pounding down on him and thunder cracked in the sky. He slowly walked up to the coffin on the ground and stood in silence. He gazed at the dark black casket with golden sides for a few moments and took out a single white rose. He placed it on the coffin and began to cry even worse.  
  
Syaoran felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Tomoyo. She was crying just as badly as him. She tugged on his arm to bring him inside, but didn't say anything. He obeyed and walked with her.  
  
But before they got very far, Syaoran turned around for one last look.  
  
".Good-bye forever. Sakura."  
  
To be continued. 


	2. Flashback: Sakura

Hi! For once, I have a chapter out on time! Another sign of the Apocalypse! Though, I need to make a clarification: I made a mistake on the first chapter. I did not mean to say "auburn-haired girl" next to Fujitaka. I don't know where my mind was that day. I have changed it to "dark-haired girl." Gomen-nasi. (I'm sorry.) But I have a new chapter that explains what happened.  
  
Chapter 2- Flashback: Sakura  
  
Syaoran put his head down on his bed and stared at his ceiling. He still couldn't believe it. Sakura was dead for real. It felt like some awful nightmare he wished he could just wake up from. Syaoran grabbed a picture of Sakura smiling and stared at it for a moment. He buried his head under his pillow and cried like he had every night since she was murdered those two weeks ago. The memories of her being carried off were burnt into the back of his mind. He sat still and recalled everything that happened. that day.  
  
(Author's note: From this point on, this is a flashback.)  
  
Sakura ran out of the school in her cheerleading uniform with Tomoyo. Syaoran spotted her and immediately began to blush.  
  
"Sigh. Tomoyo, how do you always ace these test when I always fail?" Tomoyo smiled. "I'm not that good! I got a couple of questions wrong. no, wait, that was yesterday's quiz. I didn't get any wrong today! Sorry." A sweat drop rolled down Sakura's head. "Sigh. I just wish-oh, hi Syaoran!" Syaoran tried to calm down his blushing. "Oh, err. hi Sakura. How are you?" Sakura sighed. "Not so good. I failed another math test." Tomoyo nudged her. "Cheer up, Sakura! I mean, you've transformed almost all of the Clow Cards into Sakura cards!" Sakura smiled a little. "Yeah, I guess. hey, what time is it?" Tomoyo looked at her watch. "About 5:00. Why?" "HOEEEEEE! I promised Touya I would make dinner tonight for him and dad before he got home from his new job! I gotta go!"  
  
Sakura was off in a flash. A small notebook fell from Sakura's arms as she ran, but she never turned around to pick it up. Syaoran picked it up and examined it. It was her Japanese notebook. "Hey! Sakura! You dropped-" but it was too late. Sakura had already dashed around the corner. Tomoyo waved farewell and headed home. "Oh well, we don't have any Japanese homework tonight, so I guess I can give this to Sakura later after I have my dinner." And Syaoran headed home.  
  
Syaoran put his plate in the sink and noticed Sakura's notebook next to him. "Oh, I almost forgot. I better call her first. Let's see. it's 6:15. Touya and her Father shouldn't be home yet." Syaoran picked up his phone and dialed. First ring. second ring. third ring. no answer.  
  
"Hello! You've reached the Kinomoto residence." It was Fujitaka's voice on the answering machine. "We can't come to the phone right now, but please leave a message." Beep.  
  
"That's strange. Sakura should be there cooking dinner like she said. Oh, um, Hi Sakura. It's Syaoran. I found your notebook after you dropped it today. I'll come and drop it off right now. Bye."  
  
Syaoran thought to himself, "Well, at least I can leave t at her house even if she isn't home." He saw it started to rain through his kitchen window, so he grabbed a jacket and the notebook and headed towards Sakura's house.  
  
Syaoran walked up the steps to Sakura's house when he noticed the lights were on. "Huh? No car. no bike. so Touya and Fujitaka aren't back yet. but then why didn't Sakura answer?" Syaoran shrugged and reached for the door when in swung open by itself and Syaoran was knocked to the ground. A young boy, probably about 13 or 14, with short black hair charged over Syaoran without even noticing him.  
  
Syaoran quickly got up and watched the boy run as fast as his slim legs could carry him. "Who the hell is that?! And why was he in Sakura's house?" Syaoran had no time for questioning. He ran after the boy as fast as he could. He chased him around the corner, but as soon as the young boy realized he was being chased, he ducked to one side, knocked over a trashcan and rolled it towards Syaoran to knock him down. But Syaoran limberly jumped over it and continued to try and capture whoever he was. Syaoran chased him onto a straight path and began to pick up speed. There was no place for the boy to hide. Syaoran got closer with every side. he was undoubtedly faster. But the boy was not about to be caught by him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a weapon. A shot came from the young boy's gun. Syaoran jumped to one side and into a narrow alley. "What the hell? Why is this guy armed? Is he a burglar? But he didn't have any valuables." Syaoran peaked his head out and two more shots hit the wall next to him. Syaoran knew he had to fight back. He drew his sword and grabbed a charm.  
  
"LIGHTNING!" Syaoran jumped to one side and lightning surged from the tip of his sword and shocked the young boy to the ground. Syaoran slowly approached. Surely the young boy must have been knocked out cold. But quickly, the boy raised his arm and fired again. A shot whizzed by Syaoran's arm, but missed him. The boy tried to fire again, but. click. Click, click. The gun was out of ammo.  
  
The boy had no chance unarmed, so he jumped to his feet and quickly ran around the corner. "Don't think I'm gonna let you get. away." Syaoran made it around the corner only to see the boy was gone. But the corner was a dead end with no place to go. The boy had just. disappeared.  
  
"Dammit, where did that boy go?" Suddenly, it hit Syaoran. Now Syaoran isn't what you would call an expert in firearms, but he knew one thing. "Wait a minute. that guy fired 4 shots at me, and then he was out of ammo. but don't most guns have at least." Syaoran's eyes widened. "And. he was in Sakura's house. OH MY GOD! I'M COMING SAKURA!"  
  
Syaoran burst through the front door and ran to the kitchen.  
  
Sakura lay on the floor, crying, clenching her stomach. She had her eyes closed, but tears streamed from them.  
  
Kero was frantically flying around the kitchen. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. SYAORAN!" Kero screamed. Syaoran kneeled beside Sakura. She didn't seem to even notice he was there. She just cried in pain. "What happened?!" Kero sat down next to him. "Some crazy boy barges into the house and practically holds Sakura hostage! He said something about revenge and 'nothing can stop me now!'" Kero started to cry. "But. he said he wanted to wait for her family to return to kill them all, but he grew impatient. he raised his gun, but I saw it and bit his finger. Eventually, he threw me off and fired and hit Sakura in the stomach! That's when he burst out the door!" Syaoran gasped. "Wait! Did this guy have short black hair and was a little taller than me?" Kero nodded. "Yeah, but how'd you know?" Syaoran quickly stood up and grabbed a phone and began dialing. "He tackled me on the way out! I chased him down the street, but he got away." Syaoran held the phone to his ear. "Hello? It's an emergency! Sakura's been shot! We need an ambulance!" Syaoran gave the ambulance Sakura's address and hung up.  
  
"S-S-Syaoran? Is. Is that you?" Sakura mumbled. Syaoran bent down and held her hands. They were soaked in blood. "Yes, it's me! Are you alright?" Sakura let out a burst of pain. "I. I am now. that you're here."  
  
Kero came flying up and down the stairs, carrying various medical supplies in his mouth each time. Syaoran told Sakura to calm down as he tried to clean the wounds in her stomach. "You're going to be okay, Sakura." Kero said, dropping some cotton balls to the ground. "Syaoran. thank you. I was so scarred. but now. I feel much better. because you're here." Syaoran shushed her. "Don't say anything. You need to conserve your strength. Just calm down." But it was hypocritical of him to say that. Because deep down, he was panicking worse than she was. Kero let out a high scream and flew out of sight. "What's wrong-" Syaoran felt a strong blow to his face and was flung into the wall. He was lifted by his shirt. It was Touya. "YOU BASTARD! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY BABY SISTER?!"  
  
Sakura tried to speak as loud as he could. "No. Touya, stop it! Syaoran. he was helping me. he didn't do this." Touya dropped Syaoran to the floor. "." He was speechless. He dashed for the phone. "Don't bother. I've already called for an ambulance." Syaoran said. ".Thanks." Touya muttered, almost as if it hurt his pride. He kneeled down beside Sakura and started to cry. "C'mon, you can make it."  
  
The rescue team burst through the door and into the kitchen about a minute later. They lifted Sakura onto a stretcher and wheeled her off. He wanted to go with her. but Touya got in the ambulance first and there was no more room. Syaoran just watched helplessly as they drove away.  
  
(Author's note: End of flashback)  
  
".But Sakura didn't make it to the hospital. She died on the way there. I just watched as she was driven away in that ambulance. I'll never forget the last words she said to me. "I feel much better. because you're here." Syaoran cried for a minute. "And my description of the kid wasn't good enough. Even the finger prints on the gun they found didn't help."  
  
There was a knock on the bedroom window. Syaoran opened it and Kero flew in, carrying the Book of the Clow. Needless to say, with such a small body, this was no easy feat. Kero dropped the heavy book on the bed and nearly passed out in exhaustion. "Syaoran." Kero panted. "We need to talk." "Wait a minute." Syaoran ran out of the room and came back with a glass of water to help Kero relax. Kero took a drink and regained his breath. "That thing is HEAVY." He looked at Syaoran and could tell he had been crying. ".I know. I'm sad too. I still can't believe this happened." Kero started to cry, but quickly controlled himself. "But there is no time for that! I know me and you haven't always been the best of friends, but this is serious! Take a look at this!" Kero opened the book of the Clow and grabbed a card. Syaoran grabbed it. ".It feels so cold and lifeless! What's happening to it's magic?" Kero shook his head. "Without Sakura, they're losing their power and fast! Pretty soon, they'll be set free like they were originally! That's not the worst of it! The Sakura Cards are losing their power even faster! They'll be set free first! I don't know how we can stop it. You may have to become the true Cardcaptor!" Syaoran didn't know what to say. He was going to have to capture the cards all over again.  
  
There was a ring at the doorbell. "Hold on one minute Kero."  
  
Syaoran opened the front door and peaked out. "Hello Syaoran. I've come with important news, and I couldn't find Sakura." Syaoran's eyes widened. "MIA!"  
  
To be continued. 


	3. The Plan

Okay, I've decided to update a little earlier, considering the death threats, car bombings, and flaming trash that came flying through my windows since I killed Sakura. But this chapter will explain all you need to know! Enjoy! (And to answer one readers question. Kero didn't transform and carry the book because he can't. His magic is directly linked to Sakura, who is dead!)  
  
Chapter 3- The Plan  
  
"Syaoran, I have something to tell you." Mia said sorrowfully. "Well, come on in. We can talk about it inside." Mia followed him into Syaoran's bedroom where Kero saw her. Kero flew towards Mia's face and greeted her. "Hey Mia! What are you doing here? Nice to see you!" Mia stared blankly, her eyes shrunk, and she pointed. "Ummm. Syaoran? Who is the flying, talking, stuffed animal?" Syaoran quickly answered, "No! Don't say that!" "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A STUFFED ANIMAL?!" Kero bit Mia's finger and she ran around, trying to shake Kero off. It took Syaoran to yank Kero off.  
  
"Grrr. I'm not a stuffed animal! How can you not recognize me?!" Kero said angrily after Syaoran had thrown him onto the bed. Mia put her finger in her mouth. "I've never met anyone like you!" Syaoran sighed. "Mia, you've never seen Keroberos' OTHER form, have you?" Mia looked confused. "You mean the great tiger-like Keroberos who helped us back then. is this. ummm." "GUARDIAN!" Kero interrupted. "I happen to be the guardian of the Clow Cards."  
  
Syaoran sighed again. "Let's just forget it, okay? Now, you said you had something to tell me?" Mia turned her head away. "You're not going to believe this. but. Sadin. I think maybe. It may not be over with yet." Syaoran's eyes widened. Kero shouted, "What? You gotta be kidding me! After all that work we did and you're saying it's not over?!" A sweat drop rolled down Mia's head. "Ummm. I don't quite mean it that way. You see, Sadin is gone. He's dead." Syaoran wiped the sweat off his forehead. "That's good. For a second, I thought maybe he wasn't gone." Syaoran said. "Ummm, actually, the bad news is, I believe one of his followers still exist and is trying to revive Sadin!"  
  
A sweat drop rolled down Syaoran and Kero's heads. ".You're kidding, right?" Kero asked. "I'm afraid not. His name is Koji. Back when we were trying to destroy Sadin, he was Sadin's head leader in magic research. He always kept looking for magic items that could aid them. However. I believe he has gotten a hold of some special items. One of them is the Necklace of Memories. This causes the wearer to never forget anything. The necklace disappeared when time returned to normal. however, the effects of it prevented him from forgetting all that you did." Syaoran added, "So when we defeated Sadin, he remembered what had happened because he had that necklace?" "Exactly." Kero spoke out, "Wait a sec. is he a demon? Because if he is, shouldn't he have disappeared when Sadin was killed?" Mia shook her head. "No, he's human. You see, he is actually a very troubled young man. Even without Sadin's influence, he's always been a little evil. He was arrested at age 10 for murder. Sadin could see he had a black heart, and decided he could be useful. That's how he got his powers. Sadin gave them to him." Syaoran scratched his head. "Ummm, but if Sadin is dead, how does he still have his power? Sure, he may remember us, but without Sadin, isn't he powerless?" Mia shook her head again. "No, I'm afraid not. You see, magic is 50% practice, 50% mental. So he may not be as powerful, but he still has some power. And compared to the average demon, he has quite a bit."  
  
Syaoran stared at the floor for a minute. "Dammit. all of this going on. Mia, do you know where this Koji guy is?" Mia sighed. "Well, I sorta do, I sorta don't. You see, my powers, too, have decreased since we returned. But I felt his presence a while back coming from here. The feeling was especially strong about 2 weeks ago." Syaoran gulped. "Did you say two weeks ago?!" Mia nodded. "Yes, why? Oh wait, where is Sakura? I wanted to tell this to her, but she wasn't at her home."  
  
Syaoran and Kero stared at the floor in silence, with tears starting to roll down their faces. "What's wrong?" Mia asked innocently. Syaoran didn't say anything. He just stood up, and grabbed a picture off the dresser on the other side of the room. He handed it to Mia. "What's this?" She asked. She examined the photo. "A coffin? Did someone she knows die? Did she leave to go to the funeral?" Syaoran shook his head and pointed to a wreath of flowers with something written on it. "Sakura Kinomoto?!" You mean Sakura. she. she." Syaoran nodded and started to cry. ".She was murdered."  
  
Mia sat in shock. She showed no emotion. She simply didn't know what to think. "No. no. It can't be true!" Kero sat on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Mia. but it's true. Sakura. is gone." Mia burst into tears almost instantly and hugged Syaoran. ".I tried to save her. I even chased off the black- haired kid who shot her. but if I had checked to see if she was okay before I went after the boy, maybe I could have saved her."  
  
Mia gasped. "Wait, did you say it was a black-haired boy who did this?!" Syaoran nodded. "When did this happen?" Kero said, "About two weeks ago." Mia smiled. "Aha! Just as I thought! This is too big of a coincidence!" Syaoran looked on confused. "What are you talking about?" Mia smiled. "Don't you see? Let me guess, that boy who killed Sakura, he was about 13 or 14, with short black hair, and he was probably just a little taller than you." Syaoran looked stunned. "Yeah! That's right! But how did you know?"  
  
"That was no mere boy! That was Koji!"  
  
Syaoran's jaw dropped. "Th-th-th-that means." Mia smiled. "That means, there is a way to save Sakura!" Syaoran sighed. "No. it is too late. Sakura is already gone." Mia laughed. "Maybe, but what if we can PREVENT it from happening?! You see, Koji must have gotten his hands on the Mirror of Time again! You see, Koji lived in 1834! And if he was here, that must mean he remembered where the mirror is, and came here to extract revenge!" Syaoran was still trying to comprehend all of it. "Wait, I think I understand, but how does this help us?" Mia thought for a moment. "How should I word this. You see, I also believe Koji is in the possession of a special orb. The Orb of Souls. With this, he can absorb the very soul of anyone with magic powers, and then use them to do just about anything. I believe, if he collects enough power, he can use them to try and revive Sadin and bring him here!" Syaoran sighed. "Damn, what's with this guy and these magic artifacts?!" Mia laughed. "That's what Sadin hired him for. He seemed to have a specialty in finding and using magic artifacts. But this kid may have been evil, but he's no idiot. He knew only two people could stand in his way. You. and Sakura!" "So, Koji killed Sakura so she couldn't stand in his way and stop him." Kero said. "Exactly. I mean, how long could he go on stealing souls without you and Sakura noticing and stopping him?" Syaoran nodded. "I see, but how does this help us?"  
  
Mia smiled. "You see, the Mirror of Time works differently than other forms of time travel. You see, when used, it creates a portal in time. It drops the user in any time he or she desires. However, the person who is carrying the mirror's age is not affected. That's how he came from 1834 to today still in his 14-year-old body. But, the portal does not close as soon as the owner enters. It remains open for a few minutes. And if we can sneak into a portal into the past." "We can stop this from ever happening!" Syaoran finished for Mia. "Precisely. You pick up on this fast!"  
  
"Wait a sec." Kero interrupted. "You said the person who carries the mirror doesn't age. Doesn't that mean if we went through the portal, we could age and die? I mean, I'm not too worried about myself, being around for so long, but the gaki here might have some problems." Mia laughed. "Normally, that would be a problem, however, if we could get him to open a portal to exactly three weeks ago, we'd all appear in our bodies of where we were at that exact moment, giving us time to save her!"  
  
Syaoran leaped into the air. "YEAH! WE'RE GONNA SAVE SAKURA!" Mia pulled him down to the ground. "Easy, take it easy. Now, I'll admit it. Koji isn't very physically strong. However, he is no idiot. It takes him time to recharge the mirror. So, he should still be here, however, I doubt he is out in the open. He should be waiting where there is no one around. I can sense his presence though. It feels like he is somewhere around the school. That makes perfect sense. Where better to blend in than surrounded by kids his own age! But if we can corner him, I believe we can get him to open a portal to the past and we can go back three weeks!"  
  
Syaoran smiled as he slowly drew his sword. "Then let's go save Sakura!"  
  
To be continued. 


	4. The Chase

Good news and bad news time. First, the bad news. Once again, I manage to miss my deadline. It seems until school ends, especially with 10,000,000,000 tests coming I might be busy until the end of the school year. (June 14th) Not to mention that EVERY TIME I TRY TO GET ON MY STUPID COMPUTER IT LITERALLY CRASHES IN THREE MINUTES OR LESS!!! Also, I have a friend (Aerin here at FF.net) who is reviewing my stories. She proofreads them for all mistakes, so it may take longer per chapters. However, now the good news. Because Aerin proofreads it, you can expect less and less mistakes. She also wrote a line for Yamazaki in this chapter that I really like! (Trust me, you'll spot it. I only had to edit it a little to fit into the situation.) Also, my new chapter is not only one of my longest ever, but I like it! Lot's of humor! Enjoy!  
  
And to answer a reviewer's question, I have no intentions of becoming and author. In fact, this fic may be the last fiction or any other story I write.  
  
Chapter 4- The Chase  
  
Mr. Terada shuffled the papers on his desk as everyone took their seats. He eyed Rika, sitting in the front row and began to blush. "Err. AHEM. Class, I have an announcement to make. I know. we're all still a little sad. about Sakura's sudden passing." Tomoyo looked at Sakura's now empty seat and started to sigh. She still couldn't get over it. Syaoran stood next to her put his hands on her shoulders and tried to calm her down. "However, we have a new student joining us. I'd like to introduce you to. Mia Shirai!"  
  
Syaoran's jaw dropped as Mia stepped through the open door, dressed in a school uniform. Mr. Terada began to write her name on the board. "Good Morning, Ms. Shirai! You may take a seat over there. Where Ms. Kinomoto used to sit. oh. I'm sorry, I did it again." Mia smiled. "It's alright. I heard. it's so sad. but. I still hope I can make some new friends!"  
  
Mia took her seat in front of Syaoran. She smiled and looked at Tomoyo. "Oh, hello Tomoyo! It's nice to see you!" Tomoyo gasped. "Huh?! How did you know my name?" Syaoran quickly covered Mia's mouth with his hand as a sweat drop rolled down his head. "Ummm, she didn't say your name! The ummm. wind was blowing loudly. she. umm.. asked. what your name was!" Tomoyo giggled. "Oh, sorry. My name is Tomoyo Daidouji! Nice to meet you, Mia!" Tomoyo turned forward and paid attention to Mr. Terada ahead of her.  
  
"Mia!" Syaoran whispered. "Have you lost your mind? Tomoyo doesn't remember you! Have you forgotten?" Mia laughed nervously. "Oh. yeah. Oops, I guess I forgot."  
  
The rest of the day went on normally until lunch. Syaoran took a seat next to Mia, who sat alone at her table. "Mia, I didn't have time to ask you this, but, what are you doing here?!" Mia frowned. "Well, that's not very polite! Anyway, I decided since I can sense Koji here, I might as well enroll! Now I can be here on the spot instead of waiting for you. Also, I brought along a friend!" Kero poked his head out of Mia's bag and quickly dived back down to avoid being seen by any of the other students. Syaoran sighed. "Well, I guess that's okay. but how did you enroll so quickly? And where did you get that outfit? And how on Earth did you convince your parents to let you come?" Mia laughed nervously. "You're probably not going to like any answer. but I'll tell you anyway. First of all, it would take far too long for me to try and enlist normally. so I kinda had to sneak into the main office. I kinda had the secretary busy with this little fire I started in the wastebasket down the hall in the nurse's office. I typed up and inserted my enrollment forms into her computer while she was busy." Syaoran sighed as a large sweat drop appeared on his forehead. "So, how did you get that outfit? Did you blow up the mall so you could sneak out with it?" Mia yelled. "NO! OF COURSE NOT! .I snuck into Sakura's room through her window with a ladder late last night. I borrowed one out of her closet." "WHAT?!" Mia tried to calm him down as every student in the area started to stare. "Calm down! I mean, it's not like she's using it!" Syaoran growled. "That's not the point!" Mia sighed. "Look, I had no choice. but to answer your last question, in Kyoto, we're on a school vacation, so I told my parents that with all my free time, I just wanted to take a trip. They trusted me enough to let me go alone. They have no idea what I'm really up to."  
  
Tomoyo put her plate on the table. "Mind if I join you?" Tomoyo sat down. "So, Syaoran? How come you know her so well?" "Who? Mia?" "Yeah, you've been talking to her every chance you get. And that's not very much like you." Syaoran sighed. "Mia, do you think we should tell her?" Mia nodded. "I suppose. It might cheer her up." Tomoyo looked on confused. "Tell me what? Wait." Tomoyo smiled. "Syaoran, is Mia your girlfriend? I think you'd make a cute couple!" Syaoran and Mia fell backwards over their chairs and landed on their heads in humiliation. "GIRLFRIEND?!" Syaoran screamed until he noticed everyone around them was starting to stare again. "No! Tomoyo. it's about Sakura." Tomoyo's eyes began to water. "Sakura. what. what." Mia smiled. "We're going to bring her back!"  
  
Tomoyo sat with her jaw dropped. "Could. could you say that again?" Syaoran smiled. "Tomoyo, we've found a way to revive Sakura!" Tomoyo's eyes lit up. "OH MY GOD!" Tomoyo wrapped her arms around Syaoran and squeezed him tight as she swung him around. "THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" "TOMOYO! PEOPLE ARE STARING!" Tomoyo dropped him on the ground hastily. "Oops. sorry! But I'm so happy! Tell me, how are you gonna do it?" Mia shook her head. "Not here. Let's go somewhere where people won't overhear us."  
  
They all got up and walked to an enclosed area behind the school. Syaoran started off by saying, "Ok, to tell the truth we're not really going to revive Sakura. Instead, we're going to prevent her from dying in the first place." Tomoyo sighed. "Huh? How do you prevent something that has already happened?" Mia smiled. "That is simpler than you think. I won't go into too much detail, but let's just say the boy who murdered her is here. but he's no ordinary boy?" "WHAT?! THE MURDERER IS HERE?! Ooh. I can't wait to get my hands on him." Syaoran sighed. "Now calm down. We can't let you kill him! You see, he has in his possession a special mirror. The Mirror of Time. With it, and, AHEM, a little. 'persuasion' I'm sure we can get him to send us back in time. If we go back in time to before Sakura died we can help her!" Tomoyo laughed. "That's brilliant! Just think, I'll be able to record my wonderful Sakura again. But you should have given me some warning! I could have made you both some perfect outfits for the occasion! Wait. I just thought of something. Why don't you just take this mirror and use it yourselves?" Mia shook her head. "The Mirror of Time is an evil magic artifact of an ancient Chinese civilization. It was sealed away because it is full of evil energy. We wouldn't be able to control it. Only someone with an evil heart can actually use the mirror with enough skill to make the right portal. But it is just as well. We don't actually need the mirror, just for it to open one gateway to the past." The lunch bell rang. "Rats." Syaoran said. "Well, we better all go to gym. Maybe we can talk there."  
  
About 10 minutes later, Syaoran and Mia were playing tennis against Yamazaki and Chiharu while Tomoyo played with Rika on the next court against Eriol and Naoko. Syaoran gave a big swing and sends the ball flying past Yamazaki to win the game. They all meet at the net and talk. "Nice game." Chiharu said. Yamazaki smiled.  
  
"By the way, did you know that tennis was first made as a way to transmit  
  
messages among neighboring towns? Before the telephone was invented there  
  
was nearly no communication between people. Horses were too slow in certain  
  
important cases, so townsfolk began to think about ways to send brief  
  
messages quickly. In time, they got the idea that if someone could cut open  
  
a ball (painted bright yellow, so it wouldn't get lost in the woods) and  
  
stuff a message into it, the message could be sent faster. Tournaments were  
  
held to see who was able to throw the ball into the nearest valley, but  
  
strength alone wasn't enough. Thus, they grabbed a stick, tied a net to it,  
  
and practiced sending the ball further with it. In time, tennis was invented  
  
to train people for sending messages around. That's why tennis players often  
  
whack the ball with such force."  
  
Chiharu snuck up behind Yamazaki and hit him with her tennis racket. "WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT MAKING UP THOSE LIES?!"  
  
Mia leaned on the net and sighed. "Yamazaki, do you ACTUALLY expect ANYONE to believe that?" Syaoran laughed nervously. "Oh, ummm, yeah, who would believe that?!"  
  
"Oh please. You believed every word." Eriol said mockingly to Syaoran. Syaoran looked like he was ready to jump up and beat Eriol to the ground, but Mia put her hand on his shoulder. "Oh. my. God. Syaoran, look! It's him!"  
  
Mia pointed to a young man sitting on a bench on the side of the track. He had short black hair, thick-rimmed glasses, and cold black eyes. He seemed to be thinking to himself. "It's Koji!" Chiharu dropped Yamazaki and walked over. "Oh, are you looking at the new kid? It's strange. We got two new students in two weeks. That's never happened before." Yamazaki stood up and held his right index finger in the air. "Ah, you mean Koji? Did you know that before he moved here he used to be an African safari guide? But-"  
  
Before Yamazaki could finish, Chiharu grabbed him and dragged him away. "Oh no, I'm not going to let you start telling lies again."  
  
Syaoran turned to Mia. "Okay, we've found him. Now what?" Mia sighed. "Umm. I'm not sure. We can't chase him with all these people around." Tomoyo stepped up from behind, while Eriol eavesdropped on their conversation. "What's wrong?" Tomoyo asked. Mia pointed. "That man sitting on the bench. I would recognize his energy anywhere. It's Koji. He is the one who murdered Sakura." Tomoyo's blood began to boil like never before. "Grrr. I want to just go over there right now and tear him limb from limb!" Syaoran tried to calm her down. "It's alright. But. I think it would be better if you didn't come back in time with us." Tomoyo looked shocked. "What? Why?!" "Because. do you really want to remember this? Do you really want to remember being at Sakura's funeral? To remember your best friend dying? I promise that when we go back in time we'll protect Sakura on our own. She will be perfectly fine. And if Sakura is going to be okay, do you really want to remember all that happened?" "." "I thought so." Syaoran looked up. "But we'll also need someone to make sure he doesn't try to mess with the portal when we're in it and send us into some weird dimension or throw us into the middle of a World War II battlefield. Tomoyo, that's where we need your help." Tomoyo nodded. "I'll do my best."  
  
Mia interrupted with, "Well, now that that is settled, why don't we decide on how to get him alone?" Tomoyo smiled somewhat evilly. "Leave that to me!"  
  
Tomoyo began to walk up to Koji and tapped him on the shoulder. "Huh? Who're you?" Koji asked. ".You are Koji, right?" Koji looked confused. "Huh? How did you know my name? I've never met you before!" "Look, meet my friends and me here on the track at the end of the day after everyone else has left. Or else we'll come looking." "HUH?!" Tomoyo walked back, leaving Koji dumbfounded.  
  
"Well, we'll meet him here after school. There are no activities today, so we can meet him right here at the end of the day." Mia and Syaoran looked a little shocked at Tomoyo's. "effectiveness."  
  
Eriol chuckled from his hiding place. "So, it seems my suspicions are true. There is no way the Clow Mistress could be murdered by any normal criminal. It seems my cute little descendent has a plan. I may just have to help. I will not have my testing interfered with again."  
  
The rest of the day progressed normally. But as soon as the final bell rang, Syaoran, Mia, and Tomoyo walked out to the track. Mia carried the bag in which Kero was still hiding. They spotted Koji already waiting for them in the track. Tomoyo stepped up. "Alright, we're all here. Now, let's talk." Koji stepped closer. "Alright. Who are you and how do you know me?" Syaoran stepped forward and grabbed his pendant. "The Mirror of Time is in your possession. You're going to use it to help reverse what you did." Koji started to sweat. "WHAT?! How did you." Mia started to power up and concentrate her magic. "You killed a very good friend of ours named Sakura Kinomoto. You are going to help us bring her back, or we're going to kill you. Plain and simple." Koji began to seriously panic. "Umm. Err. I don't know what you're talking about! I. I'm just a new student! You might have confused me with someone else!" Kero flew out of Mia's bag and transformed to his true form. "No. I recognize you! You were the one who murdered the Mistress of the Clow! And if you don't cooperate, I'll bite you head off!"  
  
"Dammit! I guess you do know. I'll admit it. I killed your precious Sakura! And I'd do it again in a heartbeat! She was the one who killed my master, Sadin!" Tomoyo looked confused. "Huh? Sakura murdered someone?!" Mia shook her head. "It's a long story, but basically, Sadin was an evil sorcerer who tried to steal the Clow Cards, but Sakura stopped him."  
  
Koji's eyes widened when he took a good look at Syaoran's face. "You! You were the runt that chased me after I finished off your little friend!" Syaoran summoned his sword with his pendant. "Who are you calling runt? The name's Li Syaoran, and don't you forget it!" Koji gasped. "Did you say Syaoran?! You were the accomplice with Sakura!" Syaoran smiled. "That's right. but now, let's make a deal. If you open a portal to before Sakura was murdered, say, about a week, then we won't kill you." "NEVER!" Syaoran held a charm of fire in his hands. "Fine, if that's how you feel about it. FIRE!" A wall of fire flew from Syaoran's blade and nearly roasted Koji.  
  
"DAMMIT! Four on one?! That just isn't fair!" Syaoran looked furious. "Was it fair when you killed my best friend in cold blood?!" Koji reached into his shirt, as if to grab a weapon. "Well, then I guess there is only one thing to do. BYE!" Koji ran for the nearest exit, when a lightning fast object crashed into the ground, sending Koji, who was only inches away, reeling back into a wall in a cloud of dust. When the dust settled, Yue stood in the center. "I knew I sensed strange energy coming from here. MIA! You're here!" Mia just pointed at Koji. "He's the one who killed Sakura! Bring him back alive! We need him!" Yue glared angrily. "You killed the Mistress of the Clow Cards?! I'll have your head for this! I may not be able to keep this form long with Sakura's magic depleting, but I can hold it long enough to extract my revenge!"  
  
Koji had no chance to talk back, so he merely raced for the nearest door and jumped into the school. "AFTER HIM!" Tomoyo cried.  
  
Koji ran through the halls as fast as he could. "Dammit, this wasn't supposed to happen! I was just supposed to stay in this world long enough to find my next target, and then leave!" Just then, Keroberos came crashing through the windows ahead of him and Koji turned around. But Yue crashed through another set of windows, and they trapped him. Koji jumped for one of the classrooms between them and ran for the windows. He leaped onto an emergency fire escape and climbed up. When he reached the top, he was greeted with a boot to the face, courtesy of Tomoyo. He came tumbling down and landed at Mia's feet, where she almost burnt him to a crisp with a fire spell.  
  
"CRAP! HOW ARE THESE GUYS SO POWERFUL?! EVEN I DON'T STAND A CHANCE! I JUST GOTTA KEEP RUNNING!"  
  
Koji came to another section of the building and concentrated all of his magic into a jump, so he made it to the roof in one giant leap. But even there he was not safe. "WIND!" A gust of wind picked Syaoran up and placed him on the roof. He charged and cut a whole in the center of Koji's shirt. Koji jumped back, but Yue was behind him. He ran to the right, but Keroberos was now hovering there. He ran to the left, but Mia and Tomoyo emerged from the stairs to the roof. They all slowly closed in on him. Koji was caught.  
  
"Alright! I'll do it! I'll take you back in time!" They all smiled. "But there is one catch. In order for it to work and for a portal to really open and close properly, I must also go through! That means that I too, will remember this little charade of yours. Now I may strike Sakura at any time. And you can't stop me!" Syaoran growled. "Dammit. well, we'll just have to watch out!" Koji chuckled. "Foolish boy. You will drop your guard sometime. I may strike at the same time, I may not. You'll never know." "Dammit!" Mia cried. "looks like we have no choice, though. We have to believe him."  
  
Koji stood up and pulled out an old silver mirror. "O ancient Mirror of Time. Open the gateway to the past! Take us to the time before the death of young Sakura Kinomoto!"  
  
The wind began to pick up, and the sky turned pitch black. Suddenly, a portal opened. On the other side, they could see Sakura, sitting at a school desk. "It's real." Mia said. "Of course it's real! Remember, if I opened it to some place of danger I would travel there as well!" Koji said no more but leaped into the portal and vanished in a flash. "Syaoran, I'm going to still stay here." Tomoyo said. Syaoran put his hand on her shoulder. "I understand. But. see you in the past! We will save Sakura. I promise."  
  
And with that, Syaoran, Mia, Keroberos, and Yue marched through the portal in time to rescue Sakura.  
  
Moments later, three strangers dived from the sky into the portal as well. "Was that Eriol?!" Tomoyo shrieked.  
  
To be continued. 


	5. Protecting Sakura

::Sighs:: Once again, I manage to mess up. but do not worry! This is my longest chapter ever! 11 Pages on Microsoft Word, so enjoy!  
  
Chapter 5- Protecting Sakura  
  
(Author's note: Wherever you see a little * go to the bottom of the chapter  
for a translation of Japanese word[s])  
  
Riiiiiing! Riiiiiing!  
  
Syaoran quickly woke up in drenched in sweat. He shut off his alarm clock. "Huh? What? I just went. does this mean.?" Syaoran jumped out of bed and ran to the calendar. "Friday the 3rd? And Sakura was killed on Friday the 10th. So that means it worked! We're in the past! I've gone back in time!"  
  
Syaoran quickly took off his clothes and tossed them onto his bed. He hopped into the shower, got dressed, and grabbed a quick breakfast as fast as he could. He ran for the door with a piece of toast still in his mouth. He rounded the corner and saw Sakura sitting on a step putting on her roller blades. Syaoran's eyes began to water. She was alive. ".Sakura. SAKURA!" Syaoran shouted as he charged down the street towards Sakura. She lifted her head in curiosity.  
  
GLOMP!  
  
Syaoran hugged Sakura as tight as he could, swinging her around in his arms. "Oh, thank God you're here!" Sakura's face turned bright red as she waved her arms and legs all around her, struggling to get free. "ACK! .Air! Can't. breathe! Syaoran!"  
  
Syaoran started to blush as he dropped Sakura. "Oops! Sorry, Sakura." Sakura's face would have returned to normal in a few minutes, but it remained red as she blushed. "Umm. well, it's just that you've never really ran up to me and hugged me. Especially like that. It just feels awkward. And what is stranger is Kero did the exact same thing to me! He didn't even let me get out of bed! And this on the morning I have to get up extra early to help clean up the classroom before school." Syaoran quickly remembered. "Oh yeah! Where is Kero? I need to talk to him." Sakura looked confused. "YOU want to talk to KERO?! Well, he's in my room. Big brother already left, so don't worry about him." Syaoran gave her a quick hug and ran up to her room.  
  
A sweat drop rolled down her head as Syaoran upstairs. "Syaoran and Kero are both acting affectionate and talking to each other? Did I die and go to another world or something?"  
  
Syaoran burst through Sakura's door. "Kero?" He was flying around the room, cheering loudly. "YES! IT WORKED, IT WORKED, IT WORKED!" Kero yelled. "My Mistress is back!" Syaoran smiled. "Yeah. She's back. We have another chance to save her! I can still barely believe it!" Kero looked down and hovered in front of Syaoran. "Oh, hey. I didn't hear you come in. So, I take it you saw that Sakura is back!" Syaoran chuckled. "Even if I hadn't, I think your little dance in the air would have told me." Kero landed on Sakura's bed. "So, what do you want?" Syaoran sat down in a chair. "Well, now we need to decide-"  
  
Sakura's phone rang. "Hold on." Kero said. "It's probably Tomoyo." Kero picked up the phone, which was twice his size. "Hello? Mia! Oh, it's you! How are you? Did everything turn out alright? Yeah, Sakura's fine. Actually, she already left for school, but Syaoran is here. Alright. Oi*, it's for you."  
  
"Hello?" "Syaoran! It's Mia. I called you at your house, but you weren't home. So, I hear Sakura is alive and well." Syaoran sighed in relief. "Yeah, she's perfectly fine. Don't worry about her." "Good. Well, here's the problem. I may know about Koji now, but it will still take me a while to get back to Tomoeda. So, I won't see you for a while. But I will leave as soon as I can go." "Alright. Hey. wait a minute. Mia, I just thought of something. If you knew our phone numbers, why didn't you just call and warn us?" "Sigh. I tried, but the lines were busy. and the ship I took to get there was going to leave any minute. I didn't think THAT could happen to Sakura, so I didn't worry." "Well, I guess that makes sense." "I gotta go, but I'll be there as soon as possible. And take good care of Sakura! Bye!"  
  
Kero looked up at Syaoran. "So, what did Mia want?" "Just letting us know she'll be here as soon as she can. But now, we need to talk about something. I think we need to stalk Sakura." Kero looked angry. "STALK HER?! No way! I'm not going to let you." "Wait! I didn't really mean stalk, more like follow. Someone has to be with Sakura at all times just in case Koji shows up. You can watch over her at night, Tomoyo can watch her during school after we tell her what's going on, and I can watch her after school until night. Koji said he might strike at a different time." Kero nodded. "Well, I guess that's alright. But I think we'll need to be extra careful in one week, since there is still a very good chance he'll strike at the same time. Koji probably said he might attack at a different time just to throw us off guard. And I think we should do whatever it takes so Sakura doesn't become suspicious. I mean if we are protecting her, there is no need to make her worry. Say, if you are here, who is watching Sakura?" "." There was a long silence.  
  
".YOU GAKI! GET OUT THERE AND WATCH HER!"  
  
Eriol sat in his chair at his house grinning. "It seems my suspicions were correct. My cute little descendant has a plan to protect Ms. Kinomoto. But I doubt he'll be able to handle this one on his own. I may need to. 'volunteer' my assistance."  
  
Sakura was walking into the classroom when Syaoran reached her, out of breath. "Syaoran! What are you doing here so early? It's my turn to clean the classroom." Syaoran clenched his chest to catch his breath. ".Ummm. I just wanted." He panted, "to help. you this morning." Sakura smiled. "Thank you! You've been so nice this morning! I don't know what's different, but I like it!" Syaoran began to blush as he walked through the open door to help Sakura with her work.  
  
At lunch, Sakura, Syaoran, and Tomoyo all sat together and talked about what to do after school. Rika ran over to their table. "Sakura! Come with me! Some students are helping to design the new cheerleading outfits and they need some help!" Sakura smiled. "I've been waiting for this all week! Where are they?" "In the art room number 2." Sakura stood up. "Excuse me, Tomoyo, Syaoran. I'll be right back." Sakura followed Rika into the school.  
  
"Hey! Wait for me, Sakura!" Tomoyo said as she stood up, but Syaoran grabbed her shirt and pulled her back down. He said to himself, "better get this over with."  
  
"Tomoyo, I need your help, first." "Sure! What do you need?" "It. It's about Sakura." Tomoyo smiled brightly. "Oh, I see! So, do you need my help picking out the right flowers or an early birthday present?" Syaoran reddened. "Umm. well, not exactly. Now listen, this is very serious. I believe. someone may be after Sakura." The smile on Tomoyo's face disappeared. ".What do you mean 'after her?'" Syaoran sighed. "I can't tell you how, but I have evidence that this old enemy of Sakura's named Koji is planning on. killing her." Tomoyo began to turn paler. "Wh-wh-what?!" "Now, I don't want to tell her that. She will be okay because we are going to protect her! All you need to do, is that if you are ever alone with Sakura, and you are being followed by a 14 year old with short black hair and thick glasses, get Sakura into anyplace where Koji wouldn't dare try anything in fear of being caught. With us around, she'll be fine." Some of the color returned to Tomoyo's face. "Well, I suppose if we are guarding her, it's okay. I'll do my best." "Good. Then let's just be sure either you, Kero, Yue, or I are watching over her. And let's not tell Sakura about this. I don't want her to worry. She will be fine." Tomoyo smiled again. "Ok, sure! See you, Syaoran!" And Tomoyo ran off to join Sakura and Rika in the art room.  
  
The rest of the day progressed as normally as can be. Sakura walked out of the school after her cheerleading practice and began to walk home. "Hey, Sakura! Wait up!" Syaoran ran up to her. "Syaoran? What are you doing here? School ended an hour ago. Shouldn't you have gone home? Don't tell me you were waiting there for me an hour." Syaoran blushed. "Well, I. actually, I was. But I had homework, so I just did it right here while I waited for you." Sakura began to blush. "So, umm. what did you want to wait for me for?" Syaoran's face turned even redder. "Well, ah. no reason, really. But would you like me to walk you home?" Sakura, too, had her face turn a brighter shade of red. "Oh! Err. yeah! I'd like that."  
  
A few minutes later, they both walked down the road to Sakura's house. Syaoran periodically turned his head around to see if anyone was following them. "Syaoran, what's wrong?" "Huh?" "You keep looking around, like you're waiting for something." "Umm. no. I was. just looking at the Sakura blossoms. They're at full bloom now."  
  
(Author's note: Sakura blossoms are cherry blossoms. Just about every CCS character is named after a type of flower.)  
  
They both walked over to a wall, over which stood a tall Sakura tree. Sakura gave a delighted sigh. "I just love Sakura trees. The flowers are so beautiful." A Sakura blossom floated down off the tree and landed in Syaoran's hands. "Oh. here." Syaoran slipped the flower into Sakura's hair. "Aww. thank you!" Their eyes met. They stared for a moment, not saying a word. not moving a muscle.  
  
Sakura finally moved. "Oh. we're at my house already." The sun was starting to set behind them on the horizon. They both blushed and stepped closer. "Syaoran. umm. th-thanks for walking me home. I really enjoyed it." "Ah. yeah, I liked it too. So. same time tomorrow?" Sakura nodded. "Err. sure! Well, see you tomorrow morning. But. Syaoran?" "Huh? What is it?" Sakura held her hands on her lap and avoided eye contact. "It's just that. you've been acting a little. more. affectionate lately and. I kinda like it." Sakura hugged him, and quickly ran off, covering her face with her hands to hide her red cheeks. Syaoran sat in silence with his hair blowing in the wind. He looked up at the sky, which was quickly turning black with night. He walked over to a small part of the wall under the Sakura tree and sat there, staring up at the stars as they faded in.  
  
Sakura ran up to her room and sat down on her bed. Kero was already asleep. She looked out her window and saw Syaoran sitting on the wall, watching the stars. She blushed lightly, took the blossom from her hair, and held it close to her heart.  
  
The weekend passed uneventfully. Tomoyo watched Sakura on Saturday when Fujitaka took them to the art museum, which was too crowded for Koji to attack, and on Sunday Kero watched from Sakura's bag while Yukito, Touya, and Syaoran joined them at the beach.  
  
The next two school days passed in a similar fashion. Syaoran would wake up and walk with Sakura to school. Tomoyo watched over her at school Syaoran would wait for her after school and walk her home. Then, he'd sit outside for a while, just staring up into the night sky, deep in thought. He had almost forgotten about Koji. He only wanted to be at Sakura's side.  
  
The next day.  
  
Syaoran hopped out of bed and stared at the calendar. ".It's the 6th. it's coming closer. to that day. We may need to be extra careful from now on." Syaoran got dressed and was headed for the door, but as soon as he opened it.  
  
"We need to talk. NOW." "TOUYA! Umm. I mean, uhh. Touya, what are you doing here?" Touya looked angry. "Cut the innocent act. You've been following my baby sister everywhere. I see you every morning following her to school, stalking her on the way home, and then just sitting outside, waiting for her at night." Syaoran's face turned bright red and a sweat drop rolled down his face. "No, no, no, no! That's not true! It's just. ummm. well, we are friends, and since we take the same road to school, I figured we could walk together!" Touya scowled. "I don't believe that for a second. If that were true, why would you sit outside our house everyday after dark? You're up to something. I don't know what, but I have no intention of letting you hurt my sister. So just stay the HELL away from her, got it?"  
  
Before Syaoran could reply, Touya had turned around and was walking away. "Dammit. I have to keep an eye on Sakura still. but Touya will kill me, and there will be no one to protect Sakura! .Unless. Unless they don't know I'm watching!"  
  
Syaoran hopped onto the wall he always sat on to see the stars and leaped behind some bushes. "At least this way I can keep a watch on her." Syaoran stared into Sakura's window, hoping to see her. He even had a pair of binoculars with him just in case. Syaoran sat there for about 5 minutes when he heard a door slam in Sakura's room. "Ah! She's here." Syaoran waited. Eventually, Sakura stepped in front of the window. wearing nothing at all but a dripping wet bath towel!  
  
Their eyes met. Both of their faces turned bright red. Syaoran tried to apologize, but it all came out in stutters. "I. Err. I didn't mean. err. ah." Sakura's face started to turn bright red, but in anger. "You. You." Sakura grabbed an object at her side and tossed it out the window. Syaoran fell backwards on his head when Sakura's alarm clock smacked him dead on in the face. "HENTAI*!!!" She slammed her window closed.  
  
Syaoran sat motionless on the ground, when he saw a clenched fist over his face. "What did I just tell you? I can't even walk to school without seeing you hiding in our bushes." Touya said. Syaoran laughed nervously before jumping to his feet and running as fast as he could with Touya in pursuit. "Now you're spying on my sister after her shower?! You're gonna pay, you little perverted gaki!" Touya yelled from behind Syaoran. Up ahead, Yukito was walking down the street, carrying a big, brown bag. "Oh, good morning, Syaoran. I picked up some food down at the store. Would you like to-" Syaoran continued to run, ignoring Yukito's offer. "Huh. I wonder why he's in such a hurry. Oh! Touya!" Yukito reached out and wrapped his arm around Touya, stopping him cold. Syaoran continued to run even as Touya was stopped. "That was close. saved by Yukito. but I have to figure out how to watch Sakura." He rubbed the small cut on his forehead. ".And apologize before she throws more than an alarm clock at me."  
  
Syaoran tried to talk to Sakura at the beginning of school, but she wouldn't listen.  
  
Syaoran sat down at lunch with a large bloodstained bandage on the left side of his face. Tomoyo sat down next to him. "Syaoran, what's with the bandage? And why is Sakura not talking to you? Let me guess, those two are somehow connected." Syaoran nodded. "Touya wouldn't let me follow Sakura anymore. So I kind of decided to watch her in secret. but when I saw her. she. well, kind didn't have many clothes on by mistake. Or ANY at all, really." Tomoyo even blushed. "Oh. that would explain it." Syaoran sighed. "I. I just want to be with Sakura. to be around her. but Touya won't let me. I just. I. I'll do anything it takes, but now she's so mad at me."  
  
"Is. is that true?" Sakura said as she walked up from behind a tree. "Did you really only wait for me out there because of Touya?" They both started to blush. "Umm. well. yeah, it is. This morning, as I went to leave and wait for you, Touya was at my door." A vein was about to pop on Sakura's forehead. "Touya. How many times do I have to tell him not to do that?!" They all sighed. Sakura put her hands on her lap and blushed even worse. "I. I was really mad, but I know it was so unlike you to do that. I just couldn't believe you would do it. Now it all makes sense." "Well, I don't want you to worry, Sakura." Sakura sighed. "I'm not worrying. I- Tomoyo, how long have you been holding that video camera?" Tomoyo smiled. "Ever since you two got so cute! This will make a great addition to my collection of cute Sakura moments!" Sakura and Syaoran both sighed in unison. "So, Syaoran, are you going to wait for me after school?" Syaoran stared at the ground. "I would. but Touya." "You leave Touya to me. You just wait." Syaoran lifted his head and tried hard to smile. "Umm. okay. I'll be there." "Great! See you then!" Tomoyo giggled. "This just keeps getting cuter and cuter by the minute! I'm not missing this!" Syaoran just sighed. "Tomoyo, will you ever change?" She smiled. "Nope!"  
  
Sakura didn't have any practice after school, so she immediately went to Syaoran who waited at the front of the school. Sakura began to blush as she walked up. "Well. ummm. it is kind of early. so. do you want to do something?" Syaoran stood up from his seat against the wall. "Ah. ok, that sounds good. How about if we go get some ice cream?" Sakura smiled a giant smile. "That sounds great! Touya is at another new job, so we won't have to worry about him." Syaoran sighed in relief and thought, "Well, that's one less guy to worry about. So if I can just stay by Sakura's side, especially in an area like the ice cream area, she'll be fine. Koji will have to give up one day." Sakura ran ahead. "Ha! I'll beat you there!" "Oh, no you won't, Sakura!" And they both dashed towards the ice cream parlor together.  
  
Once they had placed their orders, Sakura and Syaoran took a seat outside at a table. "Syaoran, I'm really sorry about what happened earlier today. does it still hurt?" Syaoran rubbed his wound. "Not really. A little bit, but not much. I've felt worse. But my pride still hurts pretty bad." A sweat drop rolled down Sakura's face as she blushed. "Gomen-nasi*. I made a big deal about it. I should have trusted you more." "Don't worry about it. Wounds heal. I'm sure if I were in your place I would've done something like that."  
  
A strawberry sundae was placed in the center of the table. "I'm sorry, but we're out of chocolate ice cream, so if you want to reorder." "TOUYA?!" Sakura and Syaoran exclaimed. "What? Sakura? And. YOU!!! What did I tell you this morning! I warned you I'd-YOW!" The veins in Touya's neck nearly popped out as Sakura stomped as hard as she could on his foot. Keep in mind, she still wore the roller blades she put on during her race with Syaoran. "Stop doing this, Touya! I personally asked Syaoran to come with me! Not the other way around! So just calm down! He's not trying to hurt me! Stop being so overprotective!" Touya growled. "Very well, then. May I take your reorder, SIR?" Sakura smiled. "No, thank you, big brother. We'll just share mine!" Touya tried to hide his anger, but not very well. "VERY WELL, then. Please, enjoy." And Touya stomped off.  
  
They both shared Sakura's strawberry sundae as they chatted for what seemed like forever. Syaoran looked at his watch. "Wow. It's 5:00 already. I hadn't noticed." "5:00?! HOEEEE!" "What's wrong?" "I have a big homework assignment due tomorrow! I'm sorry, I gotta go! See you tomorrow!" She stood up and hugged him quickly. "Thank you! I had a wonderful time! Meet me after school tomorrow, as always!" And Sakura dashed off, leaving Syaoran blushing as the sun set behind him.  
  
Syaoran paid the bill and was walking home, thinking about the whole day. "Hi!" Tomoyo suddenly jumped out. "Ah! Where did you come from?" Tomoyo giggled. "You mean you didn't notice me taping the two of you for the whole time you were there?" "You were what?" "Oh, of course! You were much too busy paying attention to each other you didn't even notice me at the next table!" Syaoran blushed. "Umm. well, uh, the sun was in my eyes over there." Tomoyo laughed. "Really? That's weird, because I was sitting in the opposite direction of the sunlight!" "Umm. err. Oh, shoot, I just remembered. I. I gotta go!" And Syaoran ran as fast as he could down the road, but shouted, "Now you watch Sakura, okay?"  
  
Syaoran dropped down onto his couch. He thought about their day and he smiled. But the phone rang and he picked it up. "Hello?" "It's me, Kero." "Oh, what's going on?" "Listen, gaki, I know we don't like each other, and we don't like working together, but for a few days, I think we might have to. I don't know what it is, but I've been getting these weird feelings everyday, and they've been getting stronger." "Weird feelings?" Syaoran asked. "Yeah. it's like I can sense this power. evil power. and it gets stronger everyday. like it's getting closer." "KOJI!" Syaoran exclaimed. "Yeah, that's what I think it is. So, if this feeling is only getting stronger, I think it's time to take extra precautions. For starters, at least you and I should be with her, or at least Tomoyo and I." Syaoran nodded, even though there was no one to see it. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." "Well, at least Tomoyo is here now, and since I'm ready, he won't dare try anything tonight. See ya, gaki. CLICK." Syaoran dropped the phone and took a look at the calendar. "The 8th. Tomorrow is the 9th. and Sakura was killed on the 10th. It must be Koji. Sakura, I won't let you down." And Syaoran went to bed after a light dinner.  
  
The next morning, Syaoran quickly got ready for school and rushed to Sakura's house. There wasn't a minute to spare. As he approached it, he heard a shriek come from Sakura's room. "SAKURA! HOLD ON, I'M COMING!" Syaoran burst through the door and into Sakura's room. "Sakura, what's wrong?" "HOEEEEE! I've got that big math test tomorrow!" Syaoran fell backwards onto the floor with his legs sticking up. Kero used that time to sneak into Syaoran's bag and hide.  
  
They both quickly ran outside to avoid Touya, who hadn't left yet. Sakura sat down and put on her roller blades. That's when Syaoran could feel an evil presence in the air. ".Kero was right, I can feel it. Maybe it's just because I know about him, but. it feels stronger than ever. Is he here?" Kero poked his head out of Syaoran's bag. "I take it you sensed the power already?" Syaoran nodded. "Well, we best be on guard today." Kero dived back down before Sakura noticed him. "Ok, I'm ready." And the two kids both set off for school.  
  
Throughout the day, Syaoran kept as close an eye on Sakura as was humanly possible. During gym, he had Tomoyo be extra cautious. They couldn't take any chances. After school, Sakura and Syaoran were walking home when she turned to him and said, "Syaoran, you've seemed a bit nervous today. Is. is it because of the evil energy in the air?" Syaoran gasped. "You know?!" Sakura nodded sorrowfully. "It's. it's just that I've sensed it for about a week. I've tried to shrug it off, but I just can't. It is getting stronger." Syaoran was impressed. He thought to himself. "Wow. she must be getting stronger. Her magic must be increasing so rapidly if she could sense that long before Kero and me." Sakura started to cry. "I. I don't know what it is. It's starting to scare me. And it's weird. Ever since a week ago, all those weird tests, those strange feelings led me into a trap and I ended up changing a card into a Sakura Card. But this new feeling isn't like that. it just scares me." Syaoran held her tight and wiped away her tears. "Don't worry, Sakura. I'll always be here. No matter what. I feel it too. But I'm not going to let you down." Sakura dried her tears with her hands. "Arigotou. Li-kun*." And Sakura walked home, which was only a few feet away. Kero left his bag and flew up. "Hmm. her magic awareness is rising quickly. Even I couldn't sense it that fast. Tomorrow we must be really careful." And Kero flew up to Sakura's window, to make it seem like he had been there all day.  
  
Syaoran started to walk home, but he turned and gave one last look to Sakura's house before walking home. ".Sleep well, Sakura."  
  
Syaoran stood in front of Sakura as Koji aimed his gun at Sakura's head. "SYAORAN! HELP ME! Sakura screamed out. But the faster Syaoran ran the farther Sakura disappeared into the darkness. Syaoran watched Koji slowly pull the trigger while Sakura had a horrified expression on her face. Bang.  
  
Syaoran quickly sat up in his bed, covered and soaked in sweat. "A. a dream? Ugh?! That evil energy. It's never been so strong.! But how did it get so large? I mean, even if I didn't feel it last time because I was unaware, there is no way I wouldn't feel it now." Syaoran's phone began to ring. "Hello?" "It's me, Kero! Look, did you just feel a surge of some kind of evil magic in the air?" "Yeah. I have for a while. It's getting stronger." "Well, I sense it too. It's even making it hard for Sakura to sleep. Hell, I even think Touya senses SOMETHING. Whatever it is that's doing this, I have the feeling it's coming today!" Syaoran stood in silence. "Hello? Hey, Syaoran, are you still there?" "Err. yeah. Sorry, I just had this dream. Koji. he got Sakura." There was a moment of silence between both of them. ".Dammit, that's not good." Kero said. "I have a feeling that it is trying to say something to you. We'll both have to keep an eye out. Good luck. Come over as soon as you can." Syaoran hung up. ".4 a.m. Well, I might as well get ready." Syaoran took off his clothes and showered. He got dressed and cooked up a big breakfast. "I'm going to need my strength." He looked around for anything that may come in handy for helping him guard Sakura, but he didn't find anything. "Well," he took a deep breath, "it's time to go."  
  
Syaoran walked to Sakura's house. He met up with Sakura on her front steps, on time for a change. Sakura was rubbing her head. "Ah, that evil energy. it's too much to bear! What is going on? I can barely think!" Syaoran rubbed his head. "I don't know! I can't even sense where it is coming from. but it's getting stronger!" They both got up and started to walk to school. They didn't say too much. It felt like their minds were being clouded. It was hard to think.  
  
Snap.  
  
Syaoran turned around and was about to summon his sword. But he saw it was merely Eriol, apparently stepping on a twig. "Oh, good morning, Sakura, Syaoran. How are you?" Syaoran put away his pendant and calmed down. "Oh, we're alright. But we have to go! See you later." And Sakura and Syaoran both ran off to Tomoeda Elementary. Eriol chuckled. "So, I was right. This spell is affecting everyone with any magic powers. I think Koji must be using it to try and confuse our sense. I may have to pay close attention to them."  
  
The rest of the day went pretty normally. But the air was still full of evil energy. When Sakura, Syaoran, and Tomoyo all walked out of school, they started to head for home as Sakura and Tomoyo talked. "Sigh. Tomoyo, how do you always ace these test when I always fail?" Tomoyo smiled. "I'm not that good! I got a couple of questions wrong. no, wait, that was yesterday's quiz. I didn't get any wrong today! Sorry." A sweat drop rolled down Sakura's head. Syaoran sighed. "I did pretty well. But it was sorta hard to concentrate." Syaoran thought to himself, "I probably shouldn't mention I remember the answers from before I went back in time." Sakura sat down on a bench. "I just don't get this stuff. and all this evil magic energy in the air didn't help either." Tomoyo looked on confused. "What evil magic?" Syaoran sighed. "It's like some sort of evil presence is in the air. Sakura, Kero, and I can all sense it. It's like it's blocking us from concentrating. I can't tell where it is coming from." Tomoyo frowned. "Oh. that's too bad. but, I'll treat you to something special! Let's all go to the aquarium for some dinner, and then we'll go to the mall and I'll find some new materials for some kawaii outfits?" Sakura smiled and laughed uneasily. "Well, I'm alright with the first part, but I'm not sure about the second part." Tomoyo giggled. "I'm just kidding! .I have plenty of materials! I've got these great new costumes all planned out." A sweat drop rolled down both Sakura and Syaoran's heads as Tomoyo began to rant on about how great and cute Sakura will look.  
  
"Uhh. Tomoyo? Can we go? The aquarium closes at 10:00 tonight, and at this rate, we'll be here long after midnight if you keep talking and don't let us go." Syaoran rudely pointed out. Tomoyo stuck her tongue out at Syaoran teasingly. "Oh, alright. We'll go." And they all walked off to the aquarium.  
  
"Oh, KAWAII!*" Sakura exclaimed staring at the cute pair of angelfish in the tank next to their table. Tomoyo, naturally, was getting it all on tape. "So, Sakura, what exactly is this 'evil energy?' I still don't understand." Tomoyo asked innocently. "Hoeee. I still have no idea really." Syaoran shook his head. "I'm not sure either. But I have an idea. I think it is some kind of distraction. like someone doesn't want us to know they were here, so they emit all of this energy so we can't detect them." Sakura thought for a moment, holding her chopsticks to her lips. "Do you really think so?" "To tell you the truth, I'm not sure. It's just a theory."  
  
The waiter placed their meals down on their table and Sakura went back to watching the fish beside her, constantly giggling at their cuteness.  
  
After dinner, they walked around the fish tanks watching together until Tomoyo looked at her watch. "Oh shoot, it's 5:45. I need to get home and work on that new outfit." Sakura quickly turned away from the fish that moments before had her captivated. "5:45?! Now I'm really going to be late! I promised Touya and dad I would cook dinner tonight before they got home! I'm sorry, I have to go!" Sakura ran as fast as she could out of the aquarium to her house. Syaoran got a sinking feeling in his gut. Tonight was Friday the 10th! The day Sakura was killed. all this energy building up. It had to be it!  
  
"SAKURA! WAIT!" Syaoran ran as fast as he could, disregarding everything that got in his way. He jumped over anything and everyone that blocked him. He raced out the door and could spot Sakura on the horizon. "SAKURA! PLEASE WAIT!"  
  
As Syaoran rounded the corner, and arm reached out and wrapped around his neck. "Now you're chasing my sister? I warned you, gaki." Syaoran pulled himself free of Touya's grasp and started to run. "I don't have time for this!" Touya grabbed him by the arm. "Then make time! What do you want with my sister? You still follow her everywhere. I want you to-" Syaoran couldn't take it anymore. He didn't have a moment to spare. Syaoran dropped to one leg and gave Touya a sweeping kick from behind that caused him to fall backwards and land in a bunch of empty cardboard supply boxes. Touya tried to stand as Syaoran ran, but he landed on his face when his foot got stuck in all of the used supplies for the store.  
  
"Dammit, I must save Sakura! And the evil presence is getting stronger! Hold on Sakura!"  
  
Syaoran approached Sakura's house and saw the young Card Captor standing in front of the gate leading to her front door. "Oh thank God she's alright." Syaoran walked next to Sakura, but before he could speak.  
  
Click.  
  
Syaoran turned his head. The sky was now pitch black, but Syaoran could make out a figure in the darkness. It was Koji, holding a gun in each hand. "Welcome, Syaoran. You're late. It isn't very nice to keep your murderer waiting, you know!"  
  
Sakura started to cry. "Syaoran, I'm scared! Who is he?" Syaoran moved to comfort her, but Koji clicked the other gun. "I wouldn't move. I'll get both of you. for killing my master Sadin!" "Sadin?!" Sakura exclaimed. "Yes.. my master. the perfect ruler of the world. you destroyed the world's only chance of salvation and my dreams of power! Dammit, I want revenge! At first, I was originally planning to just murder Sakura, and then go back in time to kill and steal the souls of all your ancestors to help me revive Sadin! I would solely bring the world to a new golden age!" Koji laughed. "I hope you enjoyed my little spell! It is a magic shield. Basically, it blocks anyone from sensing where magic is coming from, so there was no way you could tell when or where I would come from! But enough talk. now DIE!" Syaoran jumped to one side and shoved Sakura to the ground as Koji fired both guns.  
  
Syaoran's flesh burned as the hot lead pierced his skin. Syaoran screamed in pain as he fell face first to the ground. "SYAORAN! SYAORAN, ARE YOU OKAY?!" Sakura screamed. Syaoran didn't answer. Koji stepped forward into the light of a lamppost on the side of the road to reveal a cynical smile on his face. "It's all in vain. Stop your struggling." He pointed a gun at each one of them, both of them lying on the ground. "Good-bye." Koji began to pull the trigger when a large panther-like creature pounced out of nowhere and swiped at Koji. Koji kicked the creature and shoved Spinnel away. Koji had apparently gotten stronger since their last encounter. He lifted to fire at this panther, but Keroberos landed behind him and attacked Koji. Yue dived in from the sky and picked up Koji from under Kero and punched him in the nose. Before he could land, a blow came from Ruby Moon in the shadows, and Koji landed at the feet of yet another shadowy figure. The glasses of this last shadow, and a golden scepter with a sun and moon, reflected the little light briefly before a surge of lightning flowed from Eriol, shocking Koji in a blinding flash.  
  
"Hold on Sakura!" A familiar female voice rang out in the distance. The panther and the two other shadowy figures disappeared almost as fast as they had appeared. Mia ran up and spotted Koji, guns in hand, slowly standing up. "Oh, no you don't!" Mia charged up a shot of fire, and sent Koji reeling. Both of his deadly weapons landed on the ground. Koji was left unarmed. But he reached into his coat in the darkness and pulled out the Mirror of Time. A portal opened and Koji jumped into it without a word. Mia's finger glowed an emerald green. She held her hand like a gun and fired a green burst of magic into the portal before it closed.  
  
All the while, Sakura sat at Syaoran's side. "Syaoran, oh, please be okay! Speak to me! Don't die on me!" Syaoran turned his head. "Don't worry. it's over now. I'll be fine. Remember back in that prison? I was shot then. Granted it wasn't two bullets in the same arm." Sakura looked at Syaoran's arm as it bled all over the ground. ".Trust me, Sakura." Syaoran said with tears in his eyes. "I'll be okay." Sakura hugged Syaoran tightly and cried. With one arm, Syaoran hugged Sakura and buried his face in her chest, trying to hide his own tears.  
  
Syaoran rested his head on the ground. "Syaoran. please hold on. I'll get an ambulance! Just please be okay." Syaoran gave a small smile. "Don't worry. as long as you are fine, I will be too." Syaoran closed his eyes and passed out.  
  
To be continued.  
  
*Definitions: Kawaii: Ultra-super cute Gomen-nasi: The formal way to say I'm sorry -kun: Put on the end of a boy's name. When Sakura said "Li-kun," it was the equivalent of saying "Mr. Li." Similarly, -chan is added to a girl's name. For example, Tomoyo-chan. -Chan may also be used to show affection, like how Sakura refers to Touya as Touya-chan. Oi- Hey Hentai- Pervert 


	6. Koji's Plan

As usual, it's time for good news, bad news. The bad news is, I'm leaving for vacation this Saturday and won't be back until Tuesday, so no computer or anime for 3 days! ::sobs:: But, I have this chapter and another one that should be ready by Saturday if all goes well! Enjoy!  
  
.And to answer one question that many people have asked me, yes, Eriol is stronger than Sakura. But he lost because, well, anyone who is slapped by a giant dragon is going down. Hard. Sakura was just using a better strategy.  
  
Chapter 6- Koji's Plan  
  
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.  
  
Syaoran slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a heart monitor beside him. He slowly sat up on his bed. but it was an unfamiliar room to him. "Ugh. Where am I?" He asked groggily. Syaoran's right arm was hurt badly. He looked around. The brightness was hard on the eyes, but he could tell he was in a hospital room. He looked to his left.  
  
"Sakura?!" Sakura's eyes were filled with tears of joy. "Syaoran. you're alive." Sakura practically leaped from her seat and hugged Syaoran. She pressed her lips to his cheek and kissed him.  
  
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!  
  
Tomoyo and Mia could be heard running in from just outside the door. "Oh my God! Syaoran's heart monitor!" Tomoyo yelled. The two girls entered the room to see Sakura still kissing Syaoran. His entire face was a deep crimson. Tomoyo giggled loudly. "Well, it looks like you're BOTH feeling a lot better!" Sakura turned her head towards the two girls and stopped kissing after started to blush madly. "Ahh. Actually, umm. I." She stuttered. "I'm just glad to see Syaoran awake and well, that's all!" Syaoran rubbed his head drowsily and laid down again. "Ugh. what happened? Where the hell am I?" Mia smiled. "You just got out of the Tomoeda emergency room. You took two bullets in the right arm after you shoved Sakura out of the way. Don't you remember?" Syaoran nodded gently. "Well, I remember that part. but the emergency room? Why so serious?"  
  
"Because you lost quite a bit of blood." The doctor said as he walked in. The doctor was a tall, black man with short black hair and caring black eyes. He was in his late 20's. "In fact, if it weren't for young Sakura here, you probably wouldn't have survived this long. She cut the circulation to your arm. Otherwise, you would have bled to death. Mia here called for an ambulance, but." "I was still too tired from running all the way to Sakura's house to really help out." The doctor nodded. "We gave you enough blood, removed the bullets, and stitched up the wounds. You should make a full recovery in about a week. But for now, you need to rest." Syaoran put his head back down on the pillow and closed his eyes. The doctor started to walk out but turned his head towards Syaoran and said, "You're a very lucky boy to have a friend like her. She stayed at your side all night until you woke up." The doctor left the room as he marked down  
  
Syaoran's condition on a clipboard.  
  
Tomoyo yawned. "You know." She said wearily, "I didn't get much sleep last night, either. so I think it's time to go home, don't you think, Mia?" Mia nodded. "Well, yeah. except I don't really have anyplace to go." Tomoyo smiled. "You can sleep over at my house! I won't mind." Mia shook her head. "No, I don't want to be rude. Also, I have an idea of something I can do when Syaoran wakes up, so I'll just stay here for a while." "I understand. Come on, Sakura. You must. be." Sakura was leaning onto Syaoran's chest, sound asleep. Tomoyo blushed slightly. "Kawaii." Tomoyo didn't want to disturb the couple, so she silently walked outside. "Mia." She whispered. "I'll come back first thing in the morning. I'll tell Fujitaka and Touya that Sakura will be spending the night. But maybe Touya will want to visit personally. He's been acting strange ever since the incident."  
  
As soon as Tomoyo left, Mia took a seat next to Syaoran's bed. His heart monitor had slowed down. He was definitely asleep. She yawned and started to try and make sense of what had happened only the night before. "Hmm. It's seven o'clock already. Just a little over a day has passed. I don't know what to do from here. At least we're all safe. Maybe I'll just. think about it. in the morning." Mia drifted off into sleep in her chair.  
  
"Hoe?" Sakura looked around her. "But. how did I get here? It looks like Ancient Japan!" Sakura walked through what seemed like a small village. Everything appeared normal. But, Sakura felt some sort of power being emitted from a large house. She was almost hypnotized as she walked forward through the doors. "KOJI!" Koji stood in front of her, holding a long Samurai sword at the throat of a young girl who looked kind of like Sakura, but with blue eyes. "Ha!" Koji cackled. "Pathetic. You can't even protect your own ancestor!" Koji raised his blade and brought it down onto the young girl and- Sakura opened her eyes and lifted her head. "Huh? Oh. I must have dozed off. but this is so comfortable." She slowly lifted her head. "Yeah. this pillow is." She noticed she was actually leaning on Syaoran and was about to scream, but a hand covered her mouth. "Shhh! Sakura, be quiet!" Mia whispered. "Let Syaoran sleep. He needs all the rest he can get."  
  
However, Syaoran rolled over and opened his eyes. "Ahh. I needed that. Huh?" Syaoran and Sakura's eyes met with Sakura still leaning on each other. Their faces were both a deep red and mere inches away. Syaoran's heart monitor began to steadily pick up in speed. A sweat drop rolled down each of their heads. Sakura quickly jumped back and laughed nervously. "Umm. well, I'm awake now! So maybe I should go.!" Before Sakura could get up, Mia spoke. "Wait. I need to talk to both of you. Let me check to see if the door is locked first." She stood up and checked.  
  
"Wait," Sakura said, "first let me ask you some questions. What the hell is going on? It seems like you and Syaoran know that guy who tried to shoot us." Syaoran looked at Mia. "Should we tell her?" Mia nodded. "Sakura. time to tell the truth. You see. you were really killed by that man, Koji." Sakura looked confused. "What are you talking about? I'm right here! I'm not dead!" Mia shook her head. "Let me rephrase that for him: You WERE dead. You see. we found out about Koji too late. after you were gone. but we caught him and we made him send us back in time to a week before you died. We had to save you. So all of us stayed with you whenever possible to make sure you were safe. That's why I'm here now." Sakura blushed. "You mean, you all went through all that trouble just to save me?" Syaoran stared into Sakura's eyes. "Sakura, how could I possibly go on living if I knew I could have saved you but I didn't? Plus, everyone else was devastated. I have never seen Tomoyo so depressed in my life!" Mia said, "Sakura, Koji is a very dangerous man. He was a murderer before he was 11! We had to stop him. And since he has 'The Mirror of Time' with him, he could be anywhere in history!" Sakura thought for a moment. "Well, that would explain a few weird things he said."  
  
"Wait, what did he say that was so strange? Did he say anything about the past?" Sakura nodded. "Yeah. I think he said he wanted to kill me and then go on to kill or steal souls of someone. I can't remember who. But that doesn't make any sense. How can he take the souls of people. only-Wait a second! I just remembered I had a dream a few minutes ago when I was sleeping umm. on top of Syaoran.! In this dream, I was in an ancient Japanese village. I saw Koji and he had a young girl by the throat when he was about to strike her down with a sword! The girl looked a little like me, but she had blue eyes!"  
  
Mia didn't say a word. She just stared in amazement. Syaoran did the same. "What are you both staring at?" Syaoran lifted a finger and began to mumble. "S-S-Sakura. L-Look at your arm!" Sakura gazed at her left arm and her eyes shrunk as a large sweat drop appeared on her forehead.  
  
She could see straight through her arm! "HOEEE!" Sakura tried to rest her arm on the bed, but her arm passed right through it and she landed on the floor. "What the hell is happening to my arm?!" Mia shook her head. "I was afraid of this. Remember how Koji said he was going to revive Sadin with souls? Well, I know that normal souls aren't enough. He would need the souls of people with magical abilities. People with magic are very rare, though. And while everyone can learn a little magic like myself, he would need someone with magic built into them, whether they know it or not. For example, you two were born with magical skills. That means, your ancestors must have all had at least some magic in them. They may not have known about it, but they did. I believe Koji has gone into the past and is trying to take the souls of your ancestors! And if your dream is correct, Sakura, then Koji has already killed one of yours and that's why you are starting to disappear! Changing all of history is a slow process. Sakura, you'll probably slowly disappear into oblivion and then time will change to as if you never existed." "HOEEE!" Sakura hugged Syaoran and started to cry. "You know, Mia, you could have made that a little bit easier to swallow than, 'you're just going to disappear into nothingness.'" "Oops. Gomen-nasi, Sakura-chan. But there is a way to stop Koji." "How do we do that?" Syaoran asked. "We don't know where, or should I say when, he is." Mia laughed. "Well, maybe we don't, but I can figure out. During the battle, if you didn't notice, I shot a new magic spell at Koji into his portal before he left. This is a special tracking spell that I learned on the way here. With this new spell, I can always track where or when he is. Because this spell entered the portal, I'll be able to tell exactly what date Koji is in right now, so we should be able to stop him! All Sakura has to do is use the Time Card to send us back to the right date!"  
  
Syaoran clenched his arm and screamed in pain. "ARGH! I see one problem though. my arm still hurts like hell and the doctor said I wouldn't be fully healed for at least a week. While I'd say that's very quick for a bullet wound, how long can Sakura last like this? There is no way I can let you all go into the past without me." Mia laughed nervously. "Well, seeing as Sakura's arm almost managed to disappear in a little more than a day. I'd say she has less than 3 or 4 days left." "HOEEE! You mean I'll die in less than a week?" A sweat drop rolled down Mia's head. "Calm down, Sakura! I have a plan. First off, we'll deal with you, Syaoran. What kind of mage would I be if I couldn't heal a simple bullet wound?"  
  
Mia held one hand over Syaoran's arm and he began to levitate into the air. "Hey? What the.?" A blue light was emitted from Syaoran's body as he hovered at least three feet in the air. It was too bright to see anything. A moment later, the light died down and Syaoran fell onto the bed. "My. my arm! It's healed! There isn't a single mark on it!" Mia smiled widely. "Well, of course! Now are you ready to go?"  
  
There was a knock at the door and Sakura opened it. The doctor stepped in. "Ah, time to check on how you are doing." Sakura stood against a wall to conceal her nearly invisible left arm. "Now, by now your wounds should. huh? Where are they?! What happened to your wounds?!" Syaoran laughed nervously. "Well, what do you know? I guess the wounds healed by themselves overnight!" The doctor looked utterly shocked. "Umm. well, I. ahh. I guess that means you. err. I guess you can leave." Syaoran hopped out of his bed and moved his arm to see if it was completely back to normal. The doctor left the room, still with a look of shock on his face. "So, what do we do now?" Syaoran asked. "I guess we'll meet at Sakura's house as soon as we can today. I'll go get Tomoyo, too. She'll want to come along." They all agreed.  
  
Touya walked through the door. "There you are, monster! Why'd you stay here all night? Sheesh." Touya and Syaoran's eyes met. Touya started to turn red in embarrassment. "Now, gaki, I don't normally say this, and you better not get used to it, but. thanks for saving my sister. Now, Sakura, let's go." They all looked somewhat shocked. They had never seen Touya actually thank anyone for anything. Touya reached out and tried to grab Sakura's hand, but his hand passed right through hers. "Huh? Come on, Sakura. Don't fuss. We have to go. Dad is worried. So just come on!" Sakura laughed tensely and started to run out of the room. "Umm. I'll meet you back at the house! Bye, Syaoran, Mia!"  
  
For a brief moment, Touya could have sworn he saw through Sakura's arm. "What the? .I must not have gotten enough sleep last night." And Touya walked out.  
  
Syaoran turned to Mia. "Mia, if Sakura and Touya are siblings, shouldn't Touya be disappearing, too?" "Well, yes, and he will, but not as fast. He's a lot bigger and older, so his body is more resistant. If we leave tonight, he probably won't notice a thing, which is good, because otherwise we might end up stuck all night waiting in the hospital again." Syaoran shook his head. "No, thanks. Being hospitalized once is enough. I'm not gonna wait on some other guy. Well, why don't you head over to get Tomoyo? I have to change into my normal clothes. See you later." "Alright, bye, Syaoran."  
  
Later that night.  
  
Syaoran, Mia, and Tomoyo quietly snuck around the side of Sakura's home. They all gathered in the shadows of anything that could conceal them from sight. They waited for Sakura for about a half an hour. Still no sign of her. It was 9:00 pm. The trio wanted to see what was taking her so long, but they were afraid that Touya or Fujitaka might see them. Plus, they all carried backpacks filled with supplies. Eventually, Syaoran built up enough courage to get under Sakura's window and call for her quietly. Her window slid open and Kero hung out of it.  
  
"Syaoran, Mia, Tomoyo, I'm glad you're all here. but Sakura's in a bit of a predicament. Touya and Fujitaka are very worried about her and have been asking her questions about her health for like an hour." They all gasped. Mia asked, "Did they see Sakura's arm?" Kero shook his head. "That's not the problem. She's wearing a long robe that conceals her arm, so they can't see it. But. well. you'll see for yourself when she's done and-oh, here she is now." Kero signaled for Sakura with his hands and she came over to the window.  
  
The lights were off, so they could only see a shadow of Sakura's face, but they heard her say slowly in a trembling voice, "S-S-Syaoran. i-is that you? Oh, thank God you're here. I'm so scared." "Sakura, what's wrong?" Syaoran asked. ".I'll be down in a minute." And Sakura left sight of the window. They all waited back in the shadows until they could see Sakura's silhouette moving towards them. Sakura began to become clearer and clearer as she stepped into the moonlight. She was wearing her school outfit, apparently having taken off her robe, but something wasn't right.  
  
Syaoran, Mia, and Tomoyo's jaws dropped. Sakura looked absolutely awful. Her left arm had disappeared altogether. Her eyes were filled with fear, and. "Oh, my God!" Tomoyo squealed as she put he hands over her mouth in shock. "Sakura, you're so skinny! What happened?" Indeed, Sakura looked like she had lost ten to twenty pounds. She started to sob. "I. I don't know what it is!" She screeched between tears. "I'm losing weight so fast. According to our bathroom scale, I lost 16 lbs. today alone! I only weighed 55 lbs. to begin with! But. I can't eat anything. I don't know what's wrong with me! I can barely move I'm so hungry, but I just can't eat. I'm wasting away. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, but I don't know if I can make it. Dad and spent an hour lecturing me and asking me questions about my health as if I was crash dieting or even doing drugs!" Sakura broke down completely and hugged Syaoran. He didn't know what to say, so Syaoran just ran his fingers through her hair and rubbed her back.  
  
Mia stepped forward after a minute of silence and said, "It must be an effect of disappearing. Well, the good news is that once we go back in time, you will be back to normal. You might still be a little skinnier than usual, but nothing as bad as this. Ok?" Sakura let go of Syaoran and tried to smile a little. But seeing her overly slender body and the distraught look on her face, you could tell she wasn't really happy. Kero flew out of Sakura's window, carrying the Book of the Clow in his mouth. Maybe falling out of the window is more correct a term, since it was still very heavy for the small beast to carry. "Alright, I'm ready! Mia, have you figured out when Koji is doing all of this?"  
  
Mia snapped her fingers. "I almost forgot!" She put her hands together and started to meditate. Sweat rolled down her forehead. "Yes. yes. I see him. He's around this area. the date is. June 14th, 1567. Back when the Shogun still ruled Japan."  
  
Sakura grabbed a card from her backpack and the key to the staff.  
  
"Key that hides the power of the Stars, reveal your true form to me! By our contract, I, Sakura, command you! RELEASE!" The small pink key grew into her staff while Sakura hurled the Time Card into the air. "TIME CARD! TAKE US BACK TO JUNE 7th 1567, BEFORE KOJI CAN INTERFERE WITH TIME!"  
  
And they all vanished into the gateway of time in the blink of an eye.  
  
To be continued. 


	7. Syaoran's Transformation

Konnichi wa! I managed to get this chapter out before my vacation! You can expect an update this Tuesday! Enjoy! But. hee hee. the ending. You're all probably going to wish I was around to explain WHY. hee hee.  
  
Chapter 7- Syaoran's Transformation  
  
(*Author's note: First a few quick Japanese words you may not know I use in this chapter. Baka- Idiot, fool Konnichi wa- Good morning)  
  
The world around them began to change as the Time Card slowly turned the clocks back to 1567. Houses and people seemingly disappeared. Trees grew and fell. Nothing was the same. Time eventually began to slowly return to normal and the wind created by the card slowly died down. Sakura, Syaoran, Kero, Mia, and Tomoyo found themselves in a dark forest. Light protruded through the branches ahead. No one said a word. They just walked forward all the way through the forest and stepped into the light after about two hours of walking. They all took a deep breath of the fresh air. They were in an open field with a single dirt road going north onto the horizon. Tomoyo turned to Sakura. "Look! Sakura, your arm is back!" Sakura smiled and moved her arm around to see if it truly was. But she wasn't completely better yet, as she hadn't regained much weight. She was still dangerously skinny. Sakura frowned though, as she put both hands on her stomach. "Ooh. I'm so hungry, though." Mia frowned. "Oh dear. I knew you wouldn't fully recover, but I thought you'd be a little better off than this."  
  
Kero popped out of Tomoyo's hair where he had been hiding. "Sakura, are you at least feeling a little better?" Sakura nodded. "I'm a little better, but I still feel so weak. I can barely move my legs." Syaoran shook his head. "Dammit! Food! I knew we forgot to bring something! I'm such a baka! * Gomen-nasi, Sakura. We'll have to find a village soon." They turned to Mia. "Mia, can you tell specifically where Koji is?" She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but the signal is weaker here, since we are here before he is. So I have only a faint clue. It's somewhere around there." She pointed north of their position. "We'll just have to check it out."  
  
They all started to walk slowly north, but Sakura collapsed onto her hands and knees in weakness. "Sakura, are you alright?" Syaoran asked nervously. "I. I. can't walk. I'm so hungry. I feel light headed." Sakura said in a meek voice. "Dammit. I should have realized when Sakura was disappearing, her weight would go fast since her mass would decrease." Mia muttered. Syaoran lifted Sakura in his arms, supporting her back with one arm and her legs with the other. "Hoe? Syaoran, what are you doing?" "I'm carrying you. I'm not about to let you get stuck behind." Sakura blushed lightly. ".I don't want to be of any trouble." Tomoyo frowned. "Sakura, we could never leave you behind. We'll get you there. It would be a problem for us to leave you behind." Kero hovered over her face. "Just relax, Sakura. Save your energy. Just get your rest. You look way too skinny. You need your sleep." Sakura tried to smile. "Thank you. Thank you all." Sakura closed her eyes and fell asleep.  
  
They all walked down the dirt road for an hour. Eventually, they came to a fork in the road. There was a wooden sign pointing in both directions. Syaoran asked Mia quietly, so as not to wake Sakura, "What does the sign say?" Mia examined them closely. "I can't tell. The kanjis are faded, but I think they point to different villages. But I don't know which way to go." Syaoran looked disappointed. "Well, we have to get Sakura to a village soon! I'm not sure how long she can hold out like this. She wasn't hungry in the present because she was vanishing and only getting smaller, but now she's supposed to be recovering. We need to get her some kind of food." "I know, I know, but what can we do? We'll just have to split up. Kero and I will go left, and Tomoyo and you will take Sakura right. We don't have a choice. I still can't tell exactly where Koji will be. We'll just inspect both villages, and if we don't find anything, report to the other village, ok?" They all nodded. "Come on, Kero." Kero hovered over Mia and they walked off, turning around once to scream together, "Take good care of Sakura! See you soon!"  
  
Tomoyo and Syaoran continued walking down their path. There was no sign of a village.  
  
"Syaoran, are you sure you don't want to rest? You've been carrying Sakura in your arms for about 2 hours now. Your arms must be exhausted." Syaoran shook his head. "I don't care if my arms hurt. I just want to get Sakura to a village and fast." Tomoyo blushed. "Oh. so romantic. so kawaii. Huh?" Tomoyo stood up and walked up a nearby hill. "SYAORAN! I SEE A TOWN UP AHEAD!" Syaoran immediately ran as fast as he could without disturbing the young, sick girl in his arms. Indeed, a large, medieval Japanese town lay ahead. They both ran as fast as they could and stopped just outside the village.  
  
A young girl who looked a little like Sakura stepped out of the small gate that led to the village. She was about 10 years old with big blue eyes and long auburn hair. She held a book in her right hand. "Umm. Hello? May I help you, travelers? Oh my! Who is this girl?! What happened?!" The young stranger gasped. "It's our friend, Sakura. She hasn't had anything to eat in days, now." Syaoran lied. But he had to stretch the truth a little. Who would possibly believe they came from the future?  
  
".Oh. I see. Bring her up to my house. I have more than enough food there. You're welcome to stay. I just hope you don't mind sleeping in the guest room, it is very small." Tomoyo shook her head. "Anything is fine as long as Sakura is fine."  
  
Sakura slowly opened her eyes until she was staring. back at herself? No, this girl had longer hair and blue eyes. "Oh. you're awake." Syaoran turned to look at her from his chair next to her bed. "Sakura. you're awake." He hugged her. "You had us worried there. You didn't wake up all night to eat." Sakura rubbed her stomach. "Oh. please don't mention food." Tomoyo walked through the door, carrying a tray of breakfast with her. "Oh, I guess that means you don't want to have your breakfast right about now." "No! I'll have it! I'll have it!" Tomoyo giggled. "I was just kidding, Sakura! Eat up." Sakura smiled for the first time since she came back in time. "Thank you all!" Tomoyo shook her head. "Don't thank us. You should thank Kumiko-sama here. She was the one that gave us this food and a room to stay in until we leave. She's so kind." Kumiko blushed. ".Umm. No. I'm really not that great. I wanted to help more than this, but I didn't know how." Sakura by now had her face in a bowl of rice, devouring it quickly. She put it down and looked all around her. It was a beautiful room. Fine tapestries hung from the walls, works of calligraphy were there too, and pottery was scattered on the floor. The floors and walls were made of a fine and strong wood. And there were shelves upon shelves of books. "Wow!" Sakura exclaimed. "Look at all of these books! There's probably more books here than in the library in Tomo-err. I mean, back in my town." Kumiko stood up and walked over to the shelves. "Reading is sort of my hobby. I have even more books in my room. But I don't go outside much. I usually just like to stay inside by myself and read and study." Tomoyo asked, "But don't you have any friends?" Kumiko just lowered her head to avoid eye contact and rushed out of the room.  
  
Tomoyo frowned. "She seems very distraught. Maybe she doesn't have very many friends." Sakura swallowed a mouth full of egg rolls and said, "It sounds like she is lonely." Syaoran nodded. "I've met people like her before. She is too shy to really make friends and obviously spends her time alone reading. But there is no doubt in my mind. She is your ancestor, Sakura." Sakura nodded. "Yeah. She was the girl from my dreams." Tomoyo gave a big smile and blushed as she thought about Sakura. "And, she's almost as cute as you! Only your family tree could be this kawaii!"  
  
Syaoran sighed. "Now that we have that out of the way, can we go check on Kumiko? We'll need to protect her at all costs." Sakura finished her bowl of soup and sighed in relief. "Yeah. my strength is coming back. I think I can move again. but I'm going to need to rest for a minute, first." Syaoran nodded. "Yeah, I suppose we can't expect you to recover instantly, even after a huge meal like that. Tomoyo and I will go take a walk around here to see what we can find out about Kumiko." Sakura put her head back down on the warm bed and rested.  
  
Syaoran and Tomoyo stepped out into the center village and looked around at all there was to see. Before, they hadn't noticed many things because they were hurrying to get Sakura inside Kumiko's house. They sat on a wooden bridge that sat about a foot over a small stream that passed through the center of the village. They kicked their legs out over the side. They saw what you would come to expect in a medieval village. A blacksmith shop was making horseshoes, scholarly-looking people walked into a library, farmers worked in their crop fields. Syaoran sighed. "There isn't much around here that's interesting." Tomoyo pointed back at Kumiko's house. "Maybe, but take a look at this! Compare her house to everyone else's houses! It's huge! Her family must be rich." Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Well, you of all people should know." Tomoyo smiled. "Come on, Syaoran. My family isn't THAT rich." Syaoran just sighed. "Anyway, do you see Kumiko?" Tomoyo shook her head. "Not yet. I don't see much of anything. No Kumiko, no Koji, no anything." Syaoran lay on his back and rested. "Ahh. maybe that's a good sign. I mean, I could use a little rest after what has happened lately." Tomoyo sighed happily. "I know what you mean. It's nice to just take a breather every now and then. Still, I wish I could have brought my camcorder, but Mia said I shouldn't show any modern technology in the past in fear of changing history." Syaoran rolled his eyes and whispered, "You'll never change." Tomoyo lay on her stomach and ran her fingers through the gentle stream. "Huh? What's this?" Syaoran sat up. "What's what?" "This water is extremely hot!" Syaoran dipped his hand into the stream and pulled it out. "You're right. But where is it coming from?"  
  
They turned around and ran upstream. It led about a quarter of a mile uphill. Eventually, they came to a small cave in the side of an almost vertical rock wall. To the right side of the wall, there was a tall bamboo fence that wrapped around the mountain. Steam could be seen rising from over the fence. Tomoyo and Syaoran stepped closer. There was a wooden board placed over the stream that allowed a person to walk, but let the stream pass under it. Japanese lanterns lighted the small passageway. It also seemed there was another branch to the cave to the left. A small wooden sign lay just inside the mouth of the cave. "Women's Hot Springs" Syaoran read aloud. Tomoyo laughed. "Wow! Really? A hot spring? What are you waiting for? Let's go!" Tomoyo grabbed Syaoran's hand and started to drag him in. Syaoran managed to grab one edge of the cave entrance and yelled, "ARE YOU INSANE?! THIS IS THE GIRLS' HOT SPRINGS! I'M A GUY!" Tomoyo put Syaoran down, blushed, and giggled. "Gomen-nasi. I guess I forgot. I was just excited." Syaoran stood up and dusted himself off. He pointed to the wound on the left side of his face that hadn't fully healed yet. "Besides, if you recall, the last time I saw a girl in a bath towel, she threw an alarm clock at my face. I can still feel it."  
  
"Oh. umm. You're here. uhh. konnichi wa. *" A familiar voice said. They turned around and saw Kumiko with a handful of books. "Oh, hello, Kumiko!" Tomoyo said cheerfully. "We were just following this spring and wondered what made the water so hot." "Well. I guess you can see it is a hot spring for girls. So. Gomen, Syaoran, but I don't think you should come in." Syaoran shook his head. "Believe me, I had no intention of coming in." Tomoyo asked, "So, what are you doing here?" Kumiko stared at the ground shyly. "I come here everyday. I like the peace and quiet. There are other girls, but they usually leave me alone and talk amongst themselves. Plus, the hot water soothes me, so I find it a good place to read. Oh, gomen- nasi. I'm talking too much. I always do that. I'm such a baka." Syaoran shook his head. "Don't say that!" "Yeah, you weren't talking too much!" "Unlike SOME people we know." Tomoyo stuck her tongue out at Syaoran. ".I have to go." Kumiko rushed into the cave and into the left branch. Obviously, it was some sort of changing room.  
  
Syaoran and Tomoyo frowned. "She seems so depressed." Tomoyo said. "I don't know. She obviously has very low self-esteem. But why?" Tomoyo shook her head. "I don't know. She's smart, cute, and kind. After all, she is related to Sakura! But I'll find out. I think I'll go in and talk with her. I just wish Sakura or Mia was here. They could help me." Syaoran scratched his chin. "Speaking of Mia, I wonder how she and Kero are doing."  
  
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Mia leaped off the roof of the store and over the surrounding mob of angry merchants. Kero hovered by her as they charged out of the village. A vein popped up on Mia's forehead. "What in the hell would make you steal all that food?!" "HEY! I was hungry! If they didn't want hungry people, not to mention guardians, to steal a little fruit, they shouldn't keep it out in the open!" Mia growled as they ran out of the village into a nearby forest to avoid the irate villagers in tow.  
  
__________________________________________________________  
  
Syaoran walked into the guest room of Kumiko's house. Sakura was up and looking at the bookcase. "Oh, hello, Syaoran. Where's Tomoyo?" Syaoran sat down on a bed and rested. "We found a hot spring, but it was for girls only, so she stayed, but I came back. Kumiko was there. Apparently, she likes to read while she bathes. Naturally, I didn't want to stick around. So, what have you been doing?" Sakura pulled a book off a shelf. "Oh, I've regained my strength for now. I was just searching around the bookcase for anything interesting. Maybe even something about my family."  
  
A slip of paper fell out of the book in Sakura's hands onto the floor. "Hoe?" Syaoran picked it up. "'Hitoshi. for how long must I gaze upon your beautiful face. your deep emerald eyes. your charming smile. without being able to say how I feel.?'" Sakura giggled and blushed. "It looks like maybe Kumiko has a crush on someone! But that name sounds familiar. Hitoshi. Wait, I remember my dad once said my great grandfather was named Hitoshi, after his great grandfather or something like that! Could that mean." "He's related to you, too?" "Yeah! So, maybe if we can help keep them together and see to it that Koji stays away, whenever he shows up." ".We can keep history the way it is, and your family will be saved." They nodded in agreement.  
  
They both searched the bookcases, making sure they didn't mess up the perfectly organized collection of literature. They found many interesting books, but Syaoran's mind was on something else. "'.without being able to say how I feel.' Why does that sound so familiar?"  
  
Tomoyo walked into the room. Her hair was still a little damp. "Ahh. that was great!" "Welcome back, Tomoyo! Did you learn anything while you were gone?" Tomoyo nodded. "Well, I heard her daydreaming about some boy named Hitoshi out loud. The other girls over hear her talking about him quietly every day." Sakura smiled. "Looks like our clues were right! She does like that boy!" Tomoyo smiled. "The other girls at the springs said he lives here in the village, but she is too shy to say one word. They all think he likes her, too, but as soon as he tries to talk to her, she runs because she is too embarrassed." Sakura thought for a moment. "It sounds like those girls know a lot about this! Maybe we should all go visit them at the springs!" Syaoran nodded. "Well, have fun. I think I'll just stay here." Tomoyo shook her head. "Oh no, you're coming with us!" Syaoran sighed deeply. "Tomoyo, we've been through this! I am a BOY. That spring is for GIRLS. See the problem?" "Well, are you just going to let us poor defenseless girls go in unsupervised when Koji could be around all while we're completely unarmed?" "Hey, I would go and help if I could, but I obviously can't go in, and if I tried to spy on you, I'd get caught by the other girls. And. if those girls did catch me. well, if Sakura would throw a clock at me, I don't even want to know what they would do to me." Tomoyo smiled. "IF they COULD see you, anyway."  
  
Syaoran gave her an odd look. "What does THAT mean?" Tomoyo unraveled a piece of paper and handed it to Syaoran, who read it aloud. "Visit Lady Kasumi's House of Miracle Potions. Super-strength, Invisibility, Lightning speed, and many more special ability potions are available." A sweat drop rolled down both Sakura and Syaoran's heads. "Uhh.. Tomoyo? Do you actually BELIEVE in this junk?" Sakura grabbed the flyer. "Even I wouldn't fall for in this stuff!" Tomoyo smiled. "Aw, come on! It can't hurt to try! I'll pay for it all, of course! Besides, what else is there to do? And you wanted to always be protecting Sakura, remember, Syaoran? All you'd have to do is become temporarily invisible, and you can watch over us from a distance!" He rubbed his forehead to calm his headache. "Look, if I go, will you be happy?" She nodded. "Fine. I'll go then. I won't like it, but I'll go." "GREAT!" Tomoyo yelled. "It's just outside the village! Let's go!"  
  
They all walked west out of the village for about a quarter of a mile. Eventually, they came to a small house slightly north of the road into the woods. "Lady Kasumi's House of Miracle Potions." Sakura read on a sign. "This is it." Syaoran added. They pushed open the squeaky door and stepped inside. Some sort of weird smoke was in the air. All around the walls were shelves upon shelves of bottles, filled with who knows what. Antique mirrors, tables, (or at least what would have been antiques in their time) littered the room. Standing over a large pot in the corner, reading a book at her side was an old lady. She had small gray eyes and short white hair. They stepped forward.  
  
Tomoyo waved to the old woman over the counter. "Hello! We have come to buy a potion!" "Eh?" The old woman turned from her pot and slowly walked to the counter. "Oh! Customers! Welcome! Sorry, I didn't notice you. These old ears just aren't what they used to be." Sakura shook her head. "It's okay. No problem." "So, what can I get you young, sweet, girls?" Syaoran coughed loud. "I'm a GUY." "Eh? Oh, my apologies. I didn't notice you there. My eyes, too, just aren't as sharp as they used to be." Syaoran sighed. "It's okay. Do you have any of those potions that can make someone temporarily invisible?" The old woman nodded. "Ah, yes. That's a popular item. Let me go get it for you! But, before we start, this is not exactly legal. Are you alright with that?" They all nodded. "We'll do whatever it takes." Tomoyo said.  
  
The old woman walked into a storeroom at the back of the room. Syaoran turned to Tomoyo. "So you're serious about this?" "Well, why not? We can't risk Koji getting to Kumiko in the springs. It is the perfect spot for him to ambush her. There is only one exit, and naturally, there are no weapons. We'll need you there. And if you can surprise him, even better!"  
  
The old lady returned, bottle in hand. "Ah, here you go! That will be 1,000 yen." Sakura and Syaoran gasped at the price, but Tomoyo didn't seem to care. She handed her the money and turned to Syaoran. "Well, go on! Try it out!"  
  
Syaoran sighed. "Well, here goes nothing." He drank the red potion at once. There was a moment of silence as they all waited to see if it worked. "ARGH!" Syaoran put his hand over his heart. It was beating like crazy. He fell onto the floor face first and felt his body changing all over. He didn't know what was happening, but it was fortunately over almost as soon as it started.  
  
"SYAORAN?! ARE YOU OKAY?!" Sakura asked.  
  
He stood up. "Whoa! What the hell? I'm. I'm taller! By about a foot!" He said in a higher-pitched voice. "Wait a second, what's wrong with my voice?" He felt something touching his back. He grabbed it and looked at it closely. "My hair! But. how did it get so long?!" Syaoran looked down at himself and noticed something peculiar. "And what the hell are these huge bulges on my chest?!"  
  
Syaoran looked at Sakura and Tomoyo to get some answers to his questions. Sakura and Tomoyo's eyes were almost jumping out of their heads. A giant sweat drop rolled down each one of their heads. Both of their faces were bright red. "S-S-S-Syaoran?! Look in a mirror!"  
  
Syaoran turned his head to the right and looked into an antique mirror on the wall. His jaw dropped down to the floor. He blushed insanely. He dropped the empty potion jar onto the floor and it smashed into a billion pieces. "This isn't possible! I'm. I'm. I'M A GIRL?!"  
  
To be continued. 


	8. Koji's Love

Okies, I'm very sorry for the long wait. But I was on vacation, and this chapter needed some SERIOUS editing. Some of the humor is more like something you'd see only on Adult Swim. There are several times when undergarments are mentioned. and let's just say Koji is a regular Gene Starwind, if not worse, when it comes to women. However, I am just finishing a cleaner version that may not be as funny, but there is significantly less moments like that. Nothing in here is beyond anything you would in a PG-13 movie, but I decided to give you fair warning since there is swearing, suggested nudity, and suggestive dialogue. Not to mention a little violence at the end. (Hint: The last two warnings are somehow connected to the violence.) Anyway, if you are sure you don't want ANYTHING like what I have put in this chapter, e-mail me at Wallcrawler86@aol.com I'll send you a copy of the cleaner version. However, if things like that don't bother you, read away at 14 pages of my fic.  
  
Chapter 8- Koji's Love  
  
*K'so- Damn Nani- What? Konban wa- Good evening  
  
"I'm a girl! But how?! HOW?! I must be dreaming!" Syaoran pinched herself on the cheek. It hurt, but she didn't wake up. She wasn't dreaming. "That potion was just supposed to make me invisible, not change my gender! Oh, my God! What the hell am I supposed to do?!" She started to panic and breathe heavily.  
  
Syaoran indeed looked like a real woman. Her dark brown hair now came halfway down her back. Her whole body was long and slender from her legs, hips, arms, and fingers, to her shoulders. Syaoran's lips were tighter and her nose was slightly smaller. In a sense, she looked a little similar, but unless it was pointed out to someone, they probably wouldn't notice it was her.  
  
Sakura snickered. She and Tomoyo began to giggle, but soon they broke out laughing. "WHAT'S SO FUNNY?! Don't think I won't do anything to you just because you're my friends!" Tomoyo fell onto her back, laughing. Sakura wiped a tear from her eye. "I'm sorry, Syaoran! I shouldn't be laughing, but it's just too funny!" Syaoran growled and veins continued to pop up on her face. She was ready to explode. The girl stamped over to the counter. "What did you do to me?!" The old woman put on a pair of glasses. "Oh, dear. you are the young boy who came in?" Syaoran nodded her head. She turned around and looked at the shattered glass on the floor that was once the potion jar. There was a label on the jar fragments as well. She picked it up and read it allowed. "Healthy Beautiful Girl #16." The elderly woman gasped. "Oh, my. A thousand apologies. Like I said, my eyes just aren't what they used to be. I must have read the wrong label." Syaoran sighed. "I'll be alright as long as this isn't permanent. Please tell me that this is just temporary."  
  
By this time, Sakura and Tomoyo had finished laughing, so they came up to the counter. "Don't worry, Syaoran. I'm sure you'll be back to normal by tomorrow." The old woman shook her head. "I'm afraid not. You see, I make many potions that also change a person's physical appearance. In your case, this was 'Healthy Beautiful Girl #16.' The beautiful and healthy parts determine your physical appearance. '#16' stands for the age you would become. I often sell potions like these to criminals being pursued by bounty hunters. It helps them slip by them unhampered. Sadly, they must give up their old body. Permanently. I'm sorry." Syaoran stood in shock for a moment as she leaned over the counter.. "Then. is there. a cure?" The old lady just shook her head again. "Of course not! I sell only the finest potions! There is no cure for any of my potions! It has literally changed your body into believing you are female. What did you expect? That if I pour hot water on you and you'd return to normal? This isn't some crazy storybook!" All the color drained from Syaoran's entire body. Tomoyo patted her on the shoulder. "Wow! You're taking this really well! But really, is it that bad?" Syaoran stood in silence and then fell backwards onto the floor and blacked out.  
  
Syaoran woke up a few minutes later on the potion shop's floor. "Ugh. my head. Oh, Sakura. I just had this strange dream. I dreamt I took that invisibility potion, but it made me a 16-year-old girl, and there was no cure." A sweat drop rolled down Sakura's head as she leaned over Syaoran and pointed down at Syaoran's body. Syaoran stared at herself. "K'so*." The two girls stood up. "Dammit all. what am I supposed to do? If there is no cure, I'll be stuck this way forever! I can never go home since no one will recognize me and even my house is being rented under my name, but who would believe we're the same person?" The elderly woman behind the counter thought to herself for a moment. "Well, maybe, just maybe, there may be a way. While there is no cure, I may have a 'Healthy Strong Boy #10' in the backroom. That would return you to normal!" Syaoran smiled for the first time in her short time as a girl. "You mean. I can't cure myself, but I can still use potions to change?" The old woman nodded and walked into the back room. "I'll check back here. No extra charge." Syaoran wiped the sweat from her forehead and sighed in relief. "That was close! For a minute, I was afraid I would have been stuck as a woman forever! This feels so. awkward. I feel off balance." The old woman pointed. "It's probably just the chest. My formula tends to have that effect. You'll get used to it." Syaoran sighed. "I don't know if I CAN get used to that! Also, my hair keeps getting in my face!" She grabbed her hair and put it all behind her frustratingly. Tomoyo smiled. "We can fix that with a few braids or clips."  
  
Sakura looked on, puzzled. "What's wrong? We switched bodies back in those jail cells, remember?" Tomoyo asked, "Jail cells? What are you talking about?" Syaoran shook his head. "We'll tell you later tonight. But anyways, this is different. It just doesn't feel right. I mean, back then my body was alright. I knew using the Change Card could turn us back. Now. my body doesn't even exist. I've changed. Also, because I'm not in YOUR body, it just feels. weird. I'm not sure why. It just feels like I'm a whole new person."  
  
The old woman returned through the door in the back. "Ah, young man. or young woman. whichever. I have found it! I have double checked it numerous times, and as you can see, it clearly says 'Healthy Strong Boy #10.'" They all saw it from a distance. Syaoran laughed. "Thank you so much!" She took it from the woman and prepared to drink it. when her feet slipped on a puddle of leftover potion from the shattered jar. The glass containing Syaoran's only chance to be normal again was flung high into the air. "I GOT IT! I GOT IT!" Sakura shouted. She took a few steps back, trying to catch the bottle in midair. She juggled it in her hands before she could get a solid grip hold it safely. Sakura leaned against the door to rest. "Phew! That was cl-"  
  
The door to the shop was flung open and Sakura fell face first to the floor, which caused the bottle in her hands to shatter. Kero and Mia charged in over Sakura. "Quick! We need a place to hide!" Kero shouted. He and Mia looked around the room. Sakura lay behind them on her face with broken glass in her hands. Tomoyo-chan was wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. Some strange girl was staring in shock at the potion that oozed out of the jar onto the floor. "Uhh. did we come at a bad time?" Kero asked.  
  
The sound of the angry villagers was outside the door when Kero and Mia jumped behind the door. Immediately, a villager entered. "Pardon the interruption, but has anyone seen a young girl with blonde hair and a yellow demon flying around her anywhere?" Tomoyo nodded her head. "Yeah, I saw them heading south from here." "Thanks!"  
  
The door closed and Kero and Mia came out from hiding. "Whew! Thanks, Tomoyo!" Mia exclaimed. "Those villagers have been after us for a day! Ever since this flying pig started to steal food yesterday!" "HEY! I WAS HUNGRY!" Mia sighed as she helped Sakura to her feet. "It doesn't matter. Say, what are you doing here? And where's Syaoran?" Then they got a good look at the girl still sitting on the floor. "Oh, and is this a new friend of yours?"  
  
Sakura whimpered as she stared down at the shattered glass, almost symbolic of Syaoran's hopes of returning to normal. "Gomen-nasi, Syaoran-kun. Mia, Kero, it's a long story. I'll shorten it for you. This girl. is Syaoran." They both stood in silence for a moment until Mia said, "Umm. could you repeat that? I could have sworn you said she was Syaoran." Syaoran stood up and groaned. ".It's me."  
  
Kero and Mia snickered. Within a few seconds, everyone but Syaoran was laughing his or her head off. Syaoran growled in the lowest voice she could muster and veins popped up all over her body. She tried not to erupt into a rage. ".You know I'm going to get all of you back for this one day and have my revenge. Assuming I'll ever find a way to go back to normal."  
  
Everyone managed to stop laughing rather quickly. "I mean, my last hope for getting back to being a normal boy was smashed into oblivion when you two knocked over Sakura and smashed the last potion as you stormed in. That was the only potion that could restore me to my normal body. At least mother isn't here. If she knew, she'd kill me. Oh, God! I forgot about her! My mother! I'm the only. I mean I WAS the only male in my family! I was the one who was supposed to carry on the family name. but now, that's all gone! She was counting on me to do so much as the only boy." The smile on Mia's face turned instantly into a frown. "You mean it's our fault that you. oh my. I'm so sorry!"  
  
The old woman smirked. "Maybe all hope is not lost. I feel somewhat responsible, so I'm going to help you. All of the ingredients to make those potions can be found around this area! So all I have to do is gather them and make the right potion, so you'll be a boy again!" Syaoran quickly smiled. "You mean it?!" She nodded. "It will take a while, and the potion needs at least a week to settle, but it should work. Until then, just relax." Syaoran nodded. "Well, maybe I'll just have to live with it for now. Until then, let's just go somewhere else."  
  
Tomoyo pointed to Syaoran with one hand. "Well, it looks like you'll need some new clothes. We all kinda noticed it from the start, but we couldn't really say anything until the shock wore down a bit." Syaoran looked down and blushed. Her once-baggy shirt and pants were now way too tight for her to wear and her stomach stuck out. "Uhh. yeah, maybe it would be a good idea to change. I think I'll just head back to Kumiko's house." Syaoran said as she burst through the door, running back to their temporary home.  
  
When Syaoran got there, there was no one home. It was around 5 pm, so Kumiko and her parents would probably be home soon. She went into their room and found her bag she had packed with supplies. She had a few other pairs of clothes, but none of them fit properly. They were all too tight around the chest, too loose around the waist, too short, too tight on the hips, or a combination of those. She hadn't expected to need clothes for a 16-year-old for his trip. Even her baggiest garments didn't fit right.  
  
Tomoyo and Sakura walked in just as Syaoran finished changing back into her old clothes. She sighed out loud. "I normally don't care about my clothes, but. I noticed a lot of guys. ummm. staring. as I ran here." Tomoyo smiled. "Don't you worry your cute little head! Tomoyo has all the answers!" Tomoyo grabbed her huge backpack and opened the largest compartment. She held it upside down over her bed and a mountain of clothes came out of it. Sakura and Syaoran's eyes almost popped out of their heads. How did Tomoyo make all that fit into one backpack? Sakura asked, "Tomoyo, why do you have clothes that would fit a 16-year-old like Syaoran with you now?" "Doesn't everyone carry these things for just such an emergency?"  
  
Tomoyo began to dig through her giant pile of outfits. There was everything from Sakura's old battle outfits, to swimwear, to formal wear, and almost anything you could think of. She even had shoes of almost every size and color. "Tomoyo, when I told you to pack only the essentials. I didn't mean you should bring every outfit you own!" Tomoyo looked on confused. "But this IS essential! How can you do anything in the past if you don't look good doing it? Anyway, here. Try all of these on." Tomoyo laid some pink underwear, a pair of green flat shoes, a pink bra, green hair bands, and a green silk dress on her bed. "We'll make you just like one of the girls in no time!"  
  
Syaoran stared at the outfits for a second and shook her head violently. "NO WAY! Look, I may be a girl for now, but there is not a chance in hell I'm going to dress like that! Look at this stuff. How do you even put this dress on? Besides, I don't even know how to make any hairstyle besides my own, so how am I going to put in these clips right? Don't even get me started on the underwear. There's nothing either of you can do to make me wear this stuff!"  
  
A few minutes later, Syaoran walked out of the room to Sakura, who was waiting just outside the door. Tomoyo asked, "What do you think, Sakura?" "Oh, my God! That is so beautiful! You'll have to make me a dress like that!" Syaoran just sighed. "I forgot both of you could make 'puppy dog eyes' like that. I was outnumbered."  
  
Syaoran wore a long, green, Chinese-styled dress with slits on the sides that went from her ankles to just above her hip. It had cherry blossoms printed all over it. She was wearing flat green shoes on under her dress. Syaoran wore her hair in one long braid all the way down her back. "Wait! I forgot the final touch!" Tomoyo turned Syaoran's face towards her and when she was done, Syaoran had on cute pink lipstick. Syaoran shook her head in shame.  
  
Tomoyo smiled. "So, Syaoran, what do you think?" ".I think this is the most humiliating day of my life." Tomoyo giggled noisily. "Oh, come on! You look adorable! The lipstick really brings it all together. Plus, the potion lady said she would probably get all the ingredients probably by the end of the week! It won't be that bad! And if it takes only a few days for the potion to become ready for drinking, that means you only have to be a girl for about a week or two!" Syaoran sighed. "You're not really helping, you know."  
  
Tomoyo put her hands on her hips. "Oh, what's wrong? You should be happy you know you can still go back!" Syaoran looked down at herself. "This is what's wrong! Look at this! What's with these slits?" Sakura smiled. "What about them? They look great!" Syaoran growled. "What's wrong is they go up past my waist! These shoes are too hard to walk in! Also, the lipstick smears everywhere." Syaoran yanked on the front of the dress. "UGH! And I don't know how you girls stand this." Syaoran turned many different shades of red. "But my bra is way too tight and my underwear keeps getting stuck to my butt! .I didn't think I'd ever have to say that." "Well, it's very odd of someone to have your dimensions, so I just had to go with a few sizes smaller. It's no big deal. You'll get used to it in a few days." Syaoran took a deep breath and relaxed. "I'm sorry for being so mean. I just feel so weird. and a little scared at what will happen if I CAN'T change back and meet my family. I know my sisters will love it and talk about how 'cute' I am, but Mother won't be as pleased." Sakura put her hand on Syaoran's shoulder. "It's alright. You'll get through this. I promise." That's when Syaoran gave a faint smile. "I guess you're right. thanks, Sakura." They stared into each other's eyes for a moment. Sakura thought to herself, "Even after all of this, I still feel the same when I look into his. I mean her eyes."  
  
Kero and Mia came in through the front door. "Hi! We're back!" They both stepped into the hallway that led to the guest bedroom and saw Syaoran, who instantly started to blush. Mia smiled. "Wow! Syaoran, you look great!" Kero didn't have the same reaction and he started to laugh obnoxiously. "HA! Look at the gaki now! What's wrong, little girl? HA!" Mia hit Kero over the head and he crashed into the floor.  
  
"Quiet, you stuffed animal!" She turned to Syaoran. "Don't listen to Kero. He's just a baka. But seriously, you're so lucky! I wish I could look like that." Syaoran just hung her head low and didn't respond.  
  
Moments later, there was the sound of a wooden door slamming. Then they heard and saw Kumiko running into her room. She slammed the door, and locked it. She could be heard bawling on the other side. Sakura knocked on the door. "Kumiko-chan? Are you alright?"  
  
Kero got up off the floor and chuckled. "Maybe she managed to get a good look at the gaki here in a dress and was overcome by sympathy." A vein popped up on Syaoran's forehead. "YOU are not one to talk about looks, stuffed animal!" "HEY!" Kero bit Syaoran on her finger and wouldn't let go until Mia helped pull him off. Syaoran sucked on her finger with a tear in her eye. "Just watch what you call me from now on, baka!" Syaoran took her finger out of her mouth and held Kero tight. "Hey, what are you doing?!" Kero asked in fear. Syaoran grabbed her long braid and wrapped Kero tight in it. Syaoran chuckled noisily. "Heh. I guess long hair does have its uses." Mia laughed. "You know, he does make a cute accessory!" "You really think so? Maybe I could stuff him or turn him into a purse!" "HEY! NO! LET ME GO!" Kero continued to scream to get Syaoran to let him go, but to no avail. Tomoyo smiled. "Actually, I think he's cute as a hairpin! Just look at him!" Syaoran spun around like a fashion model and giggled. "Hey, you're right! But he's missing something." "I know!" Tomoyo shouted as she pulled a red ribbon from her backpack. "Look how cute it is now!" The large crimson accessory covered over Kero's face and completed Syaoran's look. "Wow! Thanks, Tomoyo-chan!"  
  
A vein popped up on Kero's head, but he didn't even bother to try and escape. He knew he couldn't.  
  
Sakura giggled. "Wow! It's so cute. But Syaoran, I didn't expect you to be so interested in that stuff!" Syaoran stopped admiring her hair momentarily and turned a deep cherry color. "Oops. I don't know what came over me. but I still think it looks cute! What's wrong with me?" Mia laughed out loud. "You're just being feminine!" Syaoran sighed. "I was afraid of that."  
  
That's when the crying continued on the other side of the door. Sakura knocked on the door again. ".Please, just let me be alone. I'm so worthless." Kumiko yelled out from behind her door. They all didn't know what to say, but they couldn't just leave her like that. "Please! Kumiko! You're anything BUT worthless! If it weren't for your generosity, I would have starved to death by now!" The door creaked open slightly and Sakura stepped in. The door quickly shut. No one said a thing except for Mia. "So. Kumiko is Sakura's ancestor?" They all nodded.  
  
Tomoyo, Mia, and Syaoran all worked on making some kind of dinner, while Kero had quieted down and Syaoran untied him. However, she still kept the ribbon in her hair. She seemed to really like it. At about 7, Syaoran put a pot of rice and some roasted fish onto the table. Sakura walked into the kitchen. "I have some bad news. It seems someone has been picking on poor Kumiko all day, saying how she doesn't even deserve to look at Hitoshi, the one she loves." Syaoran added, "Well, that doesn't sound too bad. Everyone gets teased." Sakura shook her head. "But she also said that the one who did this had thick glasses, short black hair, and was some 14-year-old jerk." "KOJI!" The others yelled in unison. Sakura nodded. "Apparently, Mia's calculations were a little off. Koji didn't arrive on the 14th. He's here now." Mia sighed. "I'm sorry. My spell isn't completely accurate about the exact date. But I think I know what he's up to. Kumiko is apparently very sensitive and has a low sense of self-esteem. If Koji could take advantage of that, he can easily get her alone and scared. That would make her easy to kill. He could probably even make it look like suicide if he wanted to." Sakura added, "Also, her parents are gone. Both of them are visiting a nearby village, so she's here all alone, except for us. She seems to like to have company, but is also very shy, so she can't really say anything to us."  
  
Syaoran slammed her fist down on the table. "Dammit, then we have to protect her! We'll just have to be her personal bodyguards!" They all nodded. "Tomorrow, we'll follow her everywhere." They all sat down to dinner.  
  
Sakura yawned. "I think it's time to go to bed." "Yeah. I'm beat." Tomoyo replied. "Me too." Mia said. Syaoran picked up an extra plate of food. "I'll go to bed in a minute. I think I'll give Kumiko some dinner first." "Alright," Sakura replied. "See you in the morning, Syaoran-kun. uhh. I mean Syaoran-chan!" Syaoran sighed. "Alright, alright. I get it. just call me whatever you want. I'll see you in the morning."  
  
Syaoran put the food down in front of Kumiko's door when he thought, "Hmm. She doesn't know that I've become a girl. I've been avoiding her ever since it happened. I better not let her see me. She might freak out if she knew, and she already has enough stuff on her mind." She knocked on the door and said, "Dinner!" She immediately ran down the hallway and heard the door open. "Sakura? Huh? That's strange. That didn't sound like Sakura. Oh well." Syaoran heard her pick up the food and close her door. "Time for bed."  
  
When Syaoran got to her room, everyone, even Kero, sat in a circle in their pajamas. "You mean I knew magic?!" Tomoyo asked. "That's right. I taught you everything you knew." "Wow! That's so cool! Just think. I could have used magic alongside you Sakura!" Sakura sweat dropped. "Umm. well, you knew different spells than me. Oh, konban wa*, Syaoran!" She sat down next to Sakura. "I just gave Kumiko her dinner. She sounds like she's doing a lot better. I didn't hear her crying at all. But I'm guessing you were telling Tomoyo about what happened?" Tomoyo smiled. "It's all just so amazing! I can't believe you two saved the entire world from that evil demon, Sadin! Then again, there is nothing you can't do, Sakura!" Sakura blushed bashfully. "It wasn't that incredible! After all, you helped us, as did Mia, Yue, big brother, and all of our friends." Kero coughed loudly. ".And Kero." The guardian beast smiled.  
  
Mia turned to Tomoyo. "You know, if you wanted to, I could help you remember all of your old powers with a little practice." Tomoyo shook her head. "No, but thank you. I'll leave the magic to all of you. But you can always count on me to be there with plenty of outfits to make sure you look great doing it!" They all giggled quietly. "That's all we need." Sakura said.  
  
Mia thought for a moment. "Now, where were we?" Sakura continued. "Oh yeah, after the final shrine collapsed, the portal to Sadin's world opened up. However, before that, all of the villages came together at the city of the mages to train for the battle that approached." Syaoran continued. "We managed to fight our way through the demon resistance at the entrance to the portal, but once we entered Sadin's world, an endless army of demons that would stop at nothing to stop us. Sakura, you, Touya, Mia, Kero, Yue, and those strangers who were following us, and I managed to sneak around into the side of Sadin's castle. We eventually found a crystal that was producing all the demons. We destroyed it, but that's when Sadin showed up." Sakura picked up where Syaoran left off. "Sadin. I still shudder every time I think about his glowing red eyes. But anyway. Touya tried to attack him, but he was no match and was hurt badly. We were all captured."  
  
"But we all broke out one by one." Mia said. "Sadin laid out a set of traps to try and crush our minds and our bodies, but we all made it back to Sadin's lair. Touya was still injured, so you offered to take care of him and stay behind." Tomoyo smiled. "Really? I did that? This is so exciting!" Syaoran continued. "Anyway, we entered Sadin's lair and prepared to fight him. At first, he wasn't much of a problem. We defeated him fairly easily. But he wasn't done. He transformed into this hideous dragon and gave us the fight of our lives. Every attack we tried was crushed. We were helpless." Sakura continued. "But that is when Sadin made his biggest mistake. He hurt Syaoran badly. I couldn't stand it. I let loose the Light and Dark Cards, and Sadin fell. But it was too late. Syaoran." A tear rolled down Sakura's cheek. "He was gone." Tomoyo scratched her head. "But she's sitting right here! Well, maybe not in her usual form. but. well, she's still alive!" Mia smiled. "I managed to revive him with a special spell, of course." Syaoran continued. "When I woke up, we were together in the park." Sakura and Syaoran turned their heads and stared into each other's eyes for a moment. Each of them blushed and turned away. "We had defeated Sadin and were together again."  
  
"That's so beautiful!" Tomoyo shrieked. "But what else could I expect from you two? Now I know it's true: There truly is nothing that can stop you, Sakura!" Sakura yawned. "Well, right now, I'd like to stop and go to bed." "Good idea. I'm exhausted." Mia said. Syaoran took the ribbon out of her hair and set it down on a table. "Let's all just get some sleep. We don't know where Koji is now or when he will strike, so we better be rested."  
  
Syaoran took off her dress and got into bed. She still felt awkward being in a female body, but the day had been so emotionally rough that she fell asleep instantly.  
  
Eriol sat waiting on the roof of Kumiko's house. His glasses gleamed in the moonlight. He laughed hysterically. "Well, isn't this a lovely moment? My 'cute little descendant' has gotten even cuter and become a fine young woman! But. it's going to take more than cuteness to win this time. I can sense that demon. He is nearby, like a snake, waiting for the right moment to bite with his venomous fangs. I'll be ready." "Well, I can at least sympathize with Li." Nakuru said. "Quit you're complaining. I'd figure you'd be used to having no gender by now. It isn't that bad." Spinnel insulted from the shadows. "Quiet, beast, or I'll-" "That's enough! It's hard to watch for this Koji demon without you two bickering all the time." Eriol yelled back. "Yes, Master." They both replied before they all disappeared into the darkness.  
  
"Hey, wake up, sleepy head!" Syaoran opened her eyes to see Mia standing over her. "Come on! Are you going to sleep all day?" Syaoran mumbled to herself and rolled over, concealing her head under the sheets. "Sheesh. Can't a guy get some sleep?" Tomoyo pulled the sheets off Syaoran's head. "First of all, you are a girl for a while, remember? So you should have said, 'can't a girl get some sleep?'" Mia added, "And to answer your question, you got plenty of sleep, so." Mia and Tomoyo lifted one end of her bed, making Syaoran rolled off. She landed on her head. "OW! What was that for?" "It's 9 o'clock! We have to get moving." Syaoran grabbed the dress she wore the day before and started to put it on. She also took the ribbon she had seemingly grown attached to and tied it to her braid once more. "Look, I'm sorry, but you have to remember I'm not used to this body. Plus, this is one of the first good night's sleep I've gotten without someone being hospitalized, sent back in time, or anything like that." Mia sighed. "Anyway, let's get a move on. Sakura and Kero are already down at the library with Kumiko. Tomoyo and I were just about to leave to see if we can learn anything about this Hitoshi she seems to like. You go meet up with Sakura, alright?" Syaoran nodded. "Good. Then we'll see you later, okay?"  
  
After they both stepped outside, leaving Syaoran behind, Tomoyo whispered, "Do you think we should have told her about our plans for AFTER the library?" "No, let's just keep that a secret for now. We need to take this one step at a time." They both giggled. "But either way, she won't be very happy. Oh well. Let's go." Mia said before walking off to see what they could find out about Hitoshi.  
  
Syaoran walked out of the house a few minutes later. She popped the last egg roll into her mouth and headed out for the library. When she opened the door, there was Kumiko, sitting at a desk, glancing over the cover of a romance novel. Sakura sat at another desk, with her nose in a book. Syaoran walked over to Sakura and tapped her on the shoulder. "I'm here. But I see you're so interested in that book." "Oh, umm. hi! Konnichi wa Syaoran-chan. I. err." "You were just too busy reading your manga?" Syaoran put her hand between the pages of Sakura's book and pulled out the offending "Sailor Moon" comic. Sakura laughed nervously. "Umm. how did you know?" Syaoran sighed. "First of all, I seriously doubt you would be reading a Dutch dictionary, and secondly, I doubt you would read it upside down." Sakura closed the book and realized it was inverted. She laughed nervously and turned it around. "Well, actually, I couldn't find any books that interested me, so I just had to fake it." Syaoran sighed. "Hey, wait a minute. What took you so long to get here?" Syaoran tried to come up with a logical excuse, but he couldn't find one. "Umm. I. uhh." "You overslept, didn't you?" Syaoran nodded. "Yeah, how'd you know?" Sakura chuckled. "When it comes to oversleeping, I'm an expert, I'm afraid."  
  
Syaoran took a seat next to Sakura and they continued to talk about anything and everything. About five minutes later, Tomoyo, Kero, and Mia came through the door. "Oh, hello!" Sakura waved. Kero dived back into Mia's hair to hide from the other people who were studying there. Tomoyo said, "Well, you're in luck! We found out a lot about Hitoshi! Apparently, he has a REALLY big crush on Kumiko! The only problem is that he gets a little shy around her, too! Basically, if we can find a way to bring them together, they'll be fine." Sakura smiled. "That's great news!" Mia asked, "So, how's Kumiko?" Syaoran smiled. "Don't worry. We've been keeping a close eye on her! She's. right. over." There was a prolonged silence as Syaoran pointed to an empty desk where Kumiko once sat at. "SHE'S GONE!" Tomoyo opened the door and waved everyone on. "I know where she went! Come on!"  
  
The five of them charged up a hill as Tomoyo led them on. Syaoran mumbled to herself, "Hmm. this path seems somehow familiar." Soon, they all arrived at a familiar cave. ""She comes here everyday at around this time to read." Tomoyo said. Syaoran's eyes shrunk. Surely they didn't intend to bring her in? Before she could ponder what they intended to do, Tomoyo and Sakura dragged her into the changing room. All of the girls started to change. Syaoran turned pale and hid her face in a corner. "GYAH! What are you doing?!" Tomoyo answered calmly, "Well, you said you yourself if you could watch over us in the springs, you would! You were just worried the girls would get mad. But, now, you are a girl, too! Therefore, I see no problem. Technically, you are female, so, you can come in, right?" Syaoran still faced the stone corner. She didn't even know what the room really looked like. "Well. umm. I suppose that technically, I am a girl. for now. So. if I WANTED to, I could go into them." "Well, then I don't see a problem." Mia added. ""The problem is, I may be a girl, but I'm not used to it! It's too embarrassing!" Tomoyo giggled. "Aw, don't worry, Syaoran-chan! I did it yesterday. It's nothing!" "Easy for you to say." "Well, you can turn around, now, if you want." Syaoran slowly turned around, and faced the three girls who were all wrapped in towels. Her face turned beet red. "YAHHH!" "What's wrong?" Sakura asked. "Gomen. it's. it's just that last time I saw you like that." A sweat drop rolled down Tomoyo, Sakura, and Mia's heads. "A heh. Syaoran, it's okay. I'm not going to throw anything at you!" "So. if I saw you like this as a guy, you would hit me, but because I'm temporarily a girl, it's okay?" "Well. umm. yeah." "." Tomoyo giggled. "You two are so cute when you go on and on like that! But, just come on! You said you wanted to help us!" Syaoran sighed. "I'm sorry, but I just can't do it."  
  
A few minutes later, Syaoran emerged from the dressing room wearing only a towel to meet up with the rest of the girls who were waiting for her outside the entrance to the room. She refused to get changed in front of them. Kero relaxed in Mia's hair to avoid detection by the other girls in the springs. She sighed. "One day, you and Tomoyo will have to tell me how you make those puppy dog eyes. maybe then I could say no to them."  
  
The four girls stepped out of the cave and onto the edge of the hot springs. It was made of a gray type of rock, with steam rising across the boiling hot water. At one end, a group of 5 young women were all laughing, talking together. They looked like they were all around 15 to 18-years-old. As soon as the group of maidens emerged from the cave, they all yelled in unison, "TOMOYO-CHAN!" Tomoyo laughed. "You all remember me?" One girl with long brown hair and dark blues eyes said, "Of course we do! How could we forget?"  
  
As Tomoyo leaped into the water and walked over to the girls in the corner, Sakura pointed something out. "Look! It's Kumiko!" There, at the opposite end of the hot springs and as far from anyone in there as possible, was Kumiko. She held a book in her hands and read silently. However, when she heard Sakura say her name, she turned for a brief moment, blushed in shyness, and went back to her book. Sakura, Syaoran, and Mia slowly stepped into the warm water and made their way over to Kumiko. "Hello, Kumiko-chan! How are you?" The girl put a bookmark in her novel and closed it. ".I'm alright. Are all of these people your friends?" Sakura nodded. "This is Mia." Mia waved. "Nice to meet you!" "And this is Syaoran." Kumiko gave her an odd look. "Nani? * Her name is Syaoran? But I thought Syaoran was that boy you were traveling with. Come to think of it, I haven't seen him lately." Sakura and Syaoran laughed nervously together. "Ahh. she didn't say Syaoran. She said. ahh." "Syao! That's her nickname! It's really Syaoru, but we just like Syao better." "Oh." Syaoran added, "Actually, I'm. uhh. Syaoran's sister. He had to leave the village quickly to attend to an emergency, but he sent for me a few days earlier." "Oh, I see." Kumiko said.  
  
"Oh, my God! Tomoyo, are they all your friends, too?" "THEY'RE ADORABLE!" All of the girls around Tomoyo began to yell in delight. "Look at THAT one!" A girl pointed to Syaoran, who immediately turned bright red. "Who? ME?!"  
  
The group of crazed girls swarmed all over her. "Wow! Look at you! You're so. so. drop dead gorgeous!" "What did you say your name was? Syaoru? I love that name! It's so kawaii!" "Look at that pink lipstick! I love it! You'll have to let me try it!"  
  
Tomoyo said aloud, "Pink lipstick? But I didn't. Syaoru!" She joined into the crowd. "I didn't put that lipstick on you today!" A sweat drop rolled down Syaoran's head. She whispered to her, "Well. uhh. I just felt I could use some and put it on. I'd. 'blend in' better."  
  
Syaoran could barely breath as the hyperactive girls overwhelmed her, like a pack of hyenas attacking their wounded prey. A sweat drop rolled down Mia and Sakura's heads as they watched. Tomoyo came over to Sakura. "Ha! Syaoran says she isn't used to being a girl, and yet she puts on lipstick without being forced to? Someone must be in denial!" The three of them giggled.  
  
"Oh wow! You're so lucky! You're so very well built! Not at all like me. You're so lucky!" Syaoran started blush even worse. "Ahh. I'm. uhh. well. uhh. I never noticed before!" "Oh, don't be so modest! You look fantastic!" "C'mon! What's your secret for looking so incredible?" "I don't think there is a man in all of Japan who wouldn't fall for you!"  
  
"My. my. my 'secret?'" "Yeah, after all, no one can look that great just naturally!" Syaoran blushed like she had never blushed before. "Ahh. ummm." "Hey, are you okay? Your face is bright red." Syaoran saw her chance. "Actually, I'm getting kinda dizzy! All of this steam is getting to me. I think I should go." Syaoran tried to stand up, but Sakura grabbed her towel and yanked her back down into the water. "But you can't go! You still need to tell us your beauty secrets! We've been friends for so long, and you've never even discussed them with me once!" Syaoran glanced at Sakura with a look that said, "You know I'm going to get you back for this."  
  
"Come on! Tell us!" "We need to know!" "We're dying to know!" Syaoran thought hard, but she couldn't think of anything to say. She just had to come forward. "To tell you the truth, it's not my body." "What?" "What do you mean?" "Yeah right. Let me guess, some witch made you drink some kind of potion and it made you look like this?" Syaoran nodded and blushed. "Oh please, you're just too humble to tell us your secret!"  
  
Syaoran sighed and thought, "Now I know what it's like to be a friend of my sisters."  
  
A few hilltops away, Koji sat with a pair of electronic binoculars he had brought from the future. "What's this? It's that damn brat, Sakura! How the hell did she find me?! And there are her little friends, too. Though I don't see that Li brat anywhere. All I need to do is get to that girl when they least suspect it, kill her, steal her soul, and leave." Koji adjusted the binoculars to focus on the girls in the corner. "What's this? A catfight? Ooh. this may be interesting." At the same time, Syaoran stood up and Koji set his eyes upon her. "WHOA! Would you look at THAT one! Damn. she is flaming hot! I may need to get to 'know her' better. Hee hee."  
  
Kumiko picked up her book and stepped out of the hot springs. Sakura, Mia, and Tomoyo noticed this and stepped out as well. The girls that were still smothering Syaoran looked up at the sun. "Oh, it's about 3 o'clock. I guess we should go." "So long, Syaoru!" "Sayonara, Syaoru-chan!" "Come back tomorrow!" "Yeah, see you tomorrow, O, kawaii one!" "We'll be back tomorrow, and this time, you better tell us your secret!" They all got out of the springs one by one.  
  
"TOMORROW?! AGAIN?!" Syaoran sighed and let herself sink below the water's surface to just relax.  
  
A few minutes later, Syaoran awoke to find herself floating on the surface of the water. "Ugh? I must have dozed off. Tomoyo was right. This is very soothing." Syaoran re-wrapped herself in her towel and stepped out. As she walked down the hallway to the changing room, she heard a whistle from just outside the cave's entrance. "HEY! Come here!" Syaoran stuck her head out of the entrance, but no one was there. "Hello?" She walked out into the open field, still dripping wet.  
  
Stomp!  
  
There was the sound of something hitting the ground behind her. Syaoran turned around and screamed to herself, "KOJI?! OH, NO! Wait, I can't let him know that I recognize him." Syaoran lied and asked, "Who are you? I've never met you before!"  
  
Koji smiled. "I'm just the guy of your dreams! After all, with a body like that, you deserve only the best!" Syaoran blushed. "What?! What about my body?!" Koji gave a sadistic smile. "Oh, come on! Don't be so modest! Nice, smooth, long legs. delicate and beautiful fingers." Koji stepped closer and rubbed Syaoran's stomach seductively. "A cute and flat tummy." Syaoran took a few steps back and started to sweat. "What are you doing?! Get your hands off me!" He stared into her eyes and moved his hands through her hair. "A cute face and long hair." Koji wrapped his arm around Syaoran and started to rub her back while he gave her a head to toe glance, stopping just above her abs. "A rather large and perfectly shaped pair of breasts." Syaoran blushed even worse and started to stutter. "I. uhh. no. err. I-I-I'm not. I mean. my breasts. ummm. they're not that big. Are they?" Koji grinned sadistically. "Let's just say I think busty would be an understatement!"  
  
Syaoran started to panic. "What do I do?! This guy is the biggest hentai I've eve seen! Does he actually think he's going to get anywhere with lines like that?! I gotta think of some way to get out of here. AHHH! Now what is he doing?!"  
  
Koji slowly slipped his right hand down the back of Syaoran's towel. "And, most importantly of all, a very soft butt!" Her face turned about 50 shades of red. She wasn't sure if he was more embarrassed or angry, but after a few moments, she built up the courage and anger to get free.  
  
Syaoran jumped back, out of Koji's arms. "NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU PERVERT?! GET. your." She felt a cold breeze. That's when Syaoran realized her towel hadn't come with her, as it was still in Koji's hands. Koji could only stare mindlessly and say, "Damn. I mean. WOW! You look even greater when you're close up than with binoculars!" Koji drooled as he gawked. "YOU WERE SPYING ON ME?!" Syaoran could feel the rage burning inside her, but she couldn't just let it out. She grabbed the towel from Koji's hands and covered herself with it. "Don't be so angry that I got a little peek at you! With a body like that, it's a waste to not let guys have a little peek at it. Why hide it from all of us? Tell you what. Why don't you take off that towel and just let me help you relax. I'll show you a very good time.?" Koji reached for the front of Syaoran's towel, but she raised one hand and gave Koji a vigorous slap that left a red mark in the shape of her palm. "Just keep away from me, you pervert! My body is my business! Just get the hell out of here before I get REALLY angry!" Koji cackled. "Heh! You're a fiery one! I like women with a little attitude! Come on, babe, why don't we play a little game? I know you want to." That's when Syaoran got an idea of how to get revenge and stop Koji at the same time.  
  
Syaoran leaned over and said in the most seductive voice she could, "I see. Is that all I you wanted to do? Why didn't you say so? I'd love to play with you. Oh, I know the PERFECT game. now just close your eyes and I'll have a little surprise just for you." Koji was all smiles. "Oh, I know I'll love it!" He covered his eyes. "Koji, you sly dog. You're just irresistible to women! And you've hooked a regular fireball! I bet I know what her surprise is too. But then again, with someone like me, how could she resist? After this, I can kill that Kumiko girl or whatever her name is. Life doesn't get much better than this!" Koji began to dream of what was coming his way.  
  
Syaoran walked over to the fence of the hot springs and pulled a bamboo pole from the ground. "I'll be back with your surprise in a minute!" Koji laughed. "Take your sweet time! I'm not going anywhere, and we can do this anytime and anywhere!"  
  
She stood in front of the smiling Koji and said, "Okay, open your eyes! I'm ready!" Koji opened his eyes, but saw something a lot different than he anticipated. "PERVERT!" Syaoran brought the bamboo pole crashing down onto Koji's head. She then went on to use it like a rod and beat the tar out of Koji with it. "YOU SICKO! IF YOU EVER TOUCH ME AGAIN I'LL. I'LL.!  
  
Koji lay bloodied on the ground. Syaoran lifted his head off the ground and slapped him as hard as she could. She hoisted Koji up into the air and prepared the final blow that would probably crush his skull. But when Syaoran swung the pole, Koji ducked and ran. Koji sprinted out of the field and back to town in a matter of seconds. "AND DON'T COME BACK!"  
  
Sakura walked up to Syaoran from the side. "AHHH! Syaoran, what are you doing in the open dressed like that?! You're still dripping wet!" Syaoran wrung her hair out. "But that was Koji!"  
  
Koji sat against the wall of a village house and took a deep breath. "DAMMIT! That hurts! That woman. she has such a temper! And she's brutal! I've never met any woman who can fight like that. Hell, I've never met a woman like her!"  
  
Koji's eyes lit up. "I THINK I'M IN LOVE!"  
  
See you, space cowboy.  
  
Okay, for this chapter, I want to give special thanks to my friend Aerin, who gave me the idea for the hot springs and Syaoran's name. She also gave me advice on how much of this kind of humor was suitable. Not to mention the hours of painstaking advice, grammar checks, and plot hole pointing that she usually does. Thanks. ::Gives her a hug:: 


	9. The Trap

I'm all so very sorry. Hardware failure, bug bites, finals, FF.net's problems, viral infections, and such. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I wanted to have this out a lot sooner. at one point, I even managed to update, but it never appeared. I'll have much more constant updates from now on. Promise.  
  
Chapter 9- The Trap  
  
(Author's note: At one point, there is a song break in this chapter. I did not write it. It is the ending song to the first movie. If you want to lyrics, go to where I found the: www.animelyrics.com to translate them. To link directly to the page with the lyrics, use this URL: )  
  
Syaoran fumed into Kumiko's house, her hair still damp and her body still somewhat wet, and slammed the door to the guest room shut. Mia, Tomoyo, and Kero, who were sitting in the main room she had walked through, stared at the guest room door in wonder. "What's wrong with Syaoran?" Mia asked innocently.  
  
"Koji." Sakura said as she entered the house. "KOJI?!" The three of them yelled out. "Syaoran told me she met Koji, who was waiting for her when she left the hot springs. They had a little fight." Kero scratched his chin. "Well, the gaki didn't look hurt. Did he lose?" Sakura blushed. "Umm. Actually, she easily won. But it wasn't that kind of fight."  
  
Moments later, Syaoran emerged from the guest quarters with her sword in hand. "I'm going to kill Koji today! He can't get away with that!" Mia stuck her arm into Syaoran's way and held him back. "Hold on. Why are you so upset? I thought if you beat up Koji you'd be happy! And since you were in this body, he wouldn't even recognize you!"  
  
Syaoran blushed. "Well, his not recognizing me was part of the problem. But I really don't want to talk about it." Tomoyo turned to Sakura. "What happened?" A sweat drop rolled down Sakura's head. "Well. ummm. Koji, apparently, started to flirt with her." Kero laughed. "HA! FLIRTED WITH?! That is hilarious!" A vein popped on Mia's forehead. She grabbed Kero and stuffed him onto a bookshelf, slamming a book in his face. Tomoyo smiled widely. "What's wrong with that? I would take it as a very sweet compliment if someone told me I was beautiful! Apparently, even a truly evil power still thinks you're cute!"  
  
Syaoran blushed as a sweat drop rolled down his face. "I WISH that was all he did. That guy is the biggest pervert I've ever met! You wouldn't believe some of the stuff he said to me." Mia laughed. "Come on, what could he have done that was so bad?" Syaoran growled. "Would you take it as a compliment if someone you don't like made extremely perverted comments about the. umm. shape and size. of your body? What if he not only accidentally saw you exposed, but then tried to steal your towel? How about if he then went on to touch your butt and comment about how soft it is?" Tomoyo and Mia blushed and sat in silence for a minute. ".You're kidding, right? Please tell me that's just a sick joke." Mia asked in shock. Syaoran shook her head. "That's awful! What did you do?!" Tomoyo asked. "What else? I beat him to the ground with a bamboo pole." Mia chuckled. "I hope he got the point!" Sakura laughed and said, "I bet he did! I don't think you'll have many more problems with him." Syaoran smiled. "I don't think I'll be seeing much of him. but if I do, I'm going to make him wish he had never met me."  
  
Kero mocked her. "Trust me. I've known you long enough to realize that anyone that meets you wishes they didn't." Syaoran growled. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. But seriously, Koji is a total slop, jerk, and pervert. I'm just glad not all men are like him." Mia laughed. "Well, to tell you the truth, I'm not sure you do know anymore!" "What is THAT supposed to mean, huh?" Syaoran grabbed her ribbon from her pocket and started to tie it in her hair. Tomoyo pointed. "Well, like that for instance." "Like what?" Tomoyo got off her chair and helped Syaoran tie the bow in nice and neat. "For some odd reason, you seem to really like this ribbon." Syaoran blushed a little. "Well. ummm. I just happen to like the way it looks, okay? Even I have a little fashion sense."  
  
Mia lifted Syaoran's head and examined her face. "Wh-what are you doing?!" Syaoran asked. "Well, why haven't you been complaining when we make you all these women's clothes and makeup?" Syaoran turned her face away to hide her redness. "Well, uh, the clothes fit a lot better so it's easier to move around with them. I just got used to them, that's all. I mean, I tried to wear my old shirts, no type of women's underwear, my old shoes, and everything else, but it just was too uncomfortable. So, I will wear this stuff at least while I'm a girl. Satisfied? Also, I realized it was pointless to argue about wearing the makeup, so I just went along with it." Tomoyo smiled. "Well, maybe the clothes I can understand, but. We haven't asked you to wear ANY makeup, but you've been putting my lipstick on without me having to ask you!"  
  
Sakura and Kero snickered. Syaoran couldn't think of an excuse and just sat in silence. Mia shrugged. "Come on, Syaoran Just admit it. You've been acting like the perfect little lady as of late. You've even started to talk about yourself like you've always been a girl." Syaoran sighed. "Alright, I'll admit it. Being a girl isn't that bad, okay? I've gotten used to it. I happen to like the lipstick and the ribbon. Is there something wrong with that? But I still want to get back to normal. Until then, I guess I don't mind the dresses, the accessories. Even Kero's taunts aren't as bad." Tomoyo smiled. "You really don't mind?" Syaoran stood up and turned away from the other girls. "Yeah, but I still want to go back to normal. Otherwise, I don't really mind. As long as I can get back to normal, this isn't that bad." Tomoyo smiled. "That's great! In my spare time, I've been working on a matching pair of dresses for you and Sakura to wear, so I was afraid they could go to waste!" Sakura and Syaoran looked at each other for a moment and blushed before both replying with, "Matching dresses?" Tomoyo gave a wide smile, obviously oblivious to Sakura and Syaoran's embarrassment. "Well, why not? Actually, I've been working on one for the two of you for a while, but because you normally wear such different styled clothes, it was hard to design. But now, it'll be easy!" Sakura and Syaoran sighed.  
  
Syaoran headed for the door, keeping her sword at her side, just in case. "Where are you going?" Mia asked. Syaoran didn't turn to face them, but continued walking. "I'm heading to the potion shop. I want to see how far that old lady has gotten in making 'Healthy Boy #10' or whatever it's called. I should be back by morning." Sakura grabbed Syaoran by the arm. "It's too late. You can check in the morning. It's clearly been a rough day for you. Let's just get some sleep." Syaoran nodded. "I guess so. Maybe I'll just grab something to eat and get to sleep. It's getting dark and I don't know if I could make it back at night." Tomoyo grinned. "That's great! I made these special pajamas for all of us to wear!" She ran into the guest room and came out a few minutes later carrying four long gown- like pajamas of varying colors. A sweat drop rolled down Syaoran's head. "Tomoyo, how many outfits do you work on? How do you get them done so fast?" Tomoyo laughed. "Well, with all this free time I seem to have, not to mention the abundance of supplies in this town, I've just had all the time I need to make these kawaii new outfits! Also, most of these are incredibly simple compared to most of the outfits I make for Sakura." Mia sighed. "Have you ever considered not making outfits but just buying them instead?" "WHAT? Of course not! I need to make sure all of my outfits are perfect down to the last detail! You just can't buy them! You need to." By this point, Sakura and Syaoran had given up on listening to the argument and went off to the kitchen to fix dinner.  
  
Sakura finished cooking the fish and Syaoran finished baking the bread when Kumiko walked in, almost in a trance. She seemed so happy and carefree. They had never seen her this happy before. Syaoran removed her pink apron and tried to talk to Kumiko. "Oh, hello Kumiko. You seem like your cheerful today." For a moment, Kumiko didn't answer. She just sighed joyfully. "It's like a dream come true.. Huh? Oh, konban wa, Syaoru! How are you?" "I'm alright." She took the bread out of the oven, which was really just a small opening over a large fire and placed it on the table. "I've never seen you this cheerful before. Something really great must have happened." Kumiko sighed. "Something wonderful did happen.Err. Well, actually, I can't tell you."  
  
Sakura put the fish down on the table and removed her apron. "Oh? Why can't you tell us?" Kumiko blushed deeply. "It's a secret! But. I'm afraid I can't join all of you at the hot springs tomorrow. I have. a special appointment."  
  
Tomoyo and Mia entered the kitchen and everyone sat down to dinner. Every now and then, throughout dinner, Kumiko would sigh deeply and stare out into space. After dinner, Kumiko stretched her arms out wide and yawned. ".I'm sleepy. I think I'll go to bed. Thank you for the wonderful meal! I usually can't cook. You two make fantastic chefs, though!" Syaoran and Sakura blushed. "Thank you!" They both exclaimed. Kumiko walked off towards her room.  
  
As soon as she left, Tomoyo exclaimed, "Wow! That was amazing! I've never seen her so happy before." Sakura smiled. "Yeah. I wonder what made her so happy. I'm not complaining. but if she's this happy, it must make me think Koji either hasn't found her or is leaving her alone." Syaoran pondered for a moment. "But why would he ignore her? It doesn't make any sense. She's the whole reason he's here?" Kero popped another piece of fish into his mouth. "Mmm! This is good. Ahem. I don't see how he could have lost track of her. She follows the same routine everyday, as far as I can tell."  
  
Tomoyo grinned. "Well, I might not know why Koji apparently has been ignoring her, but I think I know why Kumiko is so happy." Mia turned to Tomoyo. "Why is that?" "Because she's in true love!" "WHAT?!" Everyone else all screamed together. "I would recognize the symptoms anywhere. There's the happy sighing, the constant daydreaming, the cheerful mood, and the wide smile. They all say she has found true love!" Everyone smiled. "Does that mean she and Hitoshi finally talked in private?" Tomoyo nodded softly. "That would be my guess." She sighed. "Young love is so beautiful." Her eyes began to sparkle.  
  
Syaoran leaned against a wall. "And what would you know about love?" Tomoyo stared at Sakura through the corner of her eye and blushed. "Well, let's just say I've had a little experience myself." Mia asked, "Well, what do we do now?" Syaoran answered, "Just because it looks like Koji is slacking off a bit does not mean we can take it easy. For all we know, he's lulling us into a false sense of security." "I agree," Mia replied. "We can't leave anything to chance. So we still need a plan."  
  
An idea sprang into Sakura's mind. "I know! Kero, why don't you follow Kumiko tomorrow, and if anything in the least bit weird happens, come and tell us so we can take care of it, okay?" "Kero swallowed another mouthful. "So, all I have to do is follow this girl around all day and otherwise do absolutely nothing unless something strange happens? I'm in!" "I figured you would."  
  
Syaoran began to pick up the plates and bowls. "Why don't you girls get ready to go to bed. I'll clean up in here." "Alright." Sakura said. The three girls and Kero headed off to their beds.  
  
Syaoran stacked the dirty tableware higher and higher in her hands. She started to sing quietly to herself to pass the time.  
  
"daisuki datta ano uta furui TEEPU no naka chiisana KIZU iro aseta TAITORU nijinda yoake  
  
lalalala utaou sora o miagete lalalala It's my life aruite yukou watashi no chikara de susumu hate shinai kono michi o  
  
ikutsumo no kousaten itsumo mayou kedo nagasare tari oikosare tari shite ima o ikiteru"  
  
The three girls stuck their heads out of the doorway and listened to Syaoran as she sang louder and louder. "Wow! She's singing so well! I never knew she could do that!" Tomoyo exclaimed. "Yeah! She's almost as good as you!" Sakura replied. "Shhh! Let's listen!" Mia said.  
  
"butsu karu koto mitomeru koto otona ni natte mo wasurenai  
  
lalalala utaou sora o miagete lalalala It's my life aruite yukou watashi dake no mono dakara jishin matte ii yo ne  
  
umareta machi de yumemite kita kujikeru tabi ni omoidasu ano uta no you ni ima dekiru koto wa sukoshi demo mae ni fumi dasu koto  
  
lalalala utaou sora o miagete lalalala It's my life aruite yukou lalalala utaou sora o miagete lalalala It's my life aruite yukou watashi no chikara de susumu hate shinai kono michi o  
  
lalalala utaou sora o miagete lalalala It's my life aruite yukou watashi no chikara de susumu hate shinai kono michi o."  
  
Sakura, Tomoyo, and Mia stepped out of the doorway in their new pajamas and clapped loudly. "THAT WAS GREAT!" Sakura yelled.  
  
Syaoran's face became beet red. "You. you were listening?! Gomen-nasi! I must have been too loud! I'll just." "No! That was wonderful!" Mia complimented. "Yeah! I wish I could sing like that!" Sakura added. Syaoran turned away to hide her embarrassment. "Aww. you're just saying that. go on to bed. I'll be there in a minute."  
  
The three girls walked off, giggling as they headed for bed. Syaoran started to hum and placed all of the dishes on a counter next to an open window. "Ah. you even sing like a goddess, my love." "Who's there?!"  
  
Sakura got under her covers. "Goodnight, Tomoyo. Goodnight, Mia. Goodnight, Kero. See you in the-"  
  
SHRIEK!  
  
"Oh my God! That was Syaoran!" Sakura leaped out of bed. The others followed her. When they entered the kitchen, Koji stood on the windowsill, trying to pull Syaoran out with him. "You must come with me!" "Get your hands off me, you creep!"  
  
"SYAORAN! DUCK!" Mia screamed as she raised her hands over her head. Syaoran dropped as low as he could go before Mia threw her hands forward and a surge of fire flew through the air and shot Koji straight out the window. Tomoyo slammed it shut and locked it. "Are you alright?" Sakura asked. "Yeah." Syaoran panted. "I'm alright. It just scared the heck out of me. I'm standing there, minding my own business, when suddenly Koji pops out of nowhere. He keeps screaming something about why I need to come with him. Ugh. I bet he was trying to do something sick." Mia looked through the window for a moment. "Well, don't worry. He's gone for now."  
  
"What's going on out here? I thought I heard a girl scream." Kumiko asked as she walked in with her hair all mussed from sleep and tired eyes. Tomoyo utilized her natural ability to make up convincing lies. "Syaoru was just cleaning up the dishes when she saw a bat outside the window. She has a fear of them and screamed. She's alright." "Yeah, I'm fine. My heart is just beating fast. I need to relax for a little while. Maybe I'll go to bed." Kumiko smiled. "Okay. I'm glad that's all it was. We have a lot of bats around here. They freak me out a little too. See you in the morning." Kumiko walked back to her room.  
  
They all took a deep breath. "Syaoran, what do you think Koji wants? It doesn't make any sense. Wouldn't he go after Kumiko first?" Sakura asked. "Maybe he just wants a little revenge for our little fight over by the hot springs. I'm sure he's still livid about that. But he's gone for now and everything else in the house is shut tight. Let's just go get some sleep." Syaoran slipped into her dark green pajamas and got into bed.  
  
******  
  
Just outside, a huge explosion on the side of the hill flung a boy high into the air. "CRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAP!" Koji landed on his head. He got to his feet and barely dodged Spinel as he leaped by. A golden scepter shined in the moonlight. "You can't escape us now, wretched demon. You've interfered with my work for the last time." Eriol said. "I won't let you or anything else interfere with me getting to my goddess, Syaoru." Nakuru smiled. "I have no idea who this 'Goddess Syaoru' is, but we'll be happy to help you see a REAL demon when we kill you and send you to hell!" "I don't think so!" Koji reached into his jacket and pulled out a glowing green orb. "What the hell is that?" Eriol asked. "'The Orb of Teleportation,' an ancient artifact I recently found. Sayonara!" In a flash of green light, Koji was gone.  
  
Eriol stared at the spot where Koji once stood. "This may prove more difficult than originally anticipated."  
  
*****  
  
The light from the sun peeked through the window onto Syaoran's closed eyes. She rolled over away from the light and hugged the sheets tight. In a minute, she opened her eyes and sat up. She stretched her arms out and yawned. She rubbed her eyes and thought, "What was it I was supposed to do today? Oh yeah, I was going to visit the potion shop." Her stomach growled ferociously. "Ummm. maybe I'll cook a little breakfast first."  
  
A few minutes later, Syaoran donned her pink apron and was cooking breakfast, humming to herself. Sakura walked in with a troubling look on her face. "What's the matter, Sakura?" "Kumiko and Kero are gone!" "What? Well, Kumiko probably just left a little earlier than usual and Kero noticed, so he decided to follow her. I'm sure they're both okay. Now just sit down. I found the ingredients to make hot cakes and they'll be ready in a minute. They should be pretty good. When you live alone, you need to know how to cook a little, whether you're guy or a girl."  
  
*****  
  
Kero hovered quietly behind Kumiko. "Where is she going?" He thought to himself. "She wakes up in the middle of the night and sneaks out of the house. Then, she walks down some trail in an open field in the middle of nowhere until sunrise. If I hadn't been snacking on some of that leftover fish, I probably wouldn't have seen her leave. Wait a second. what are we doing HERE?"  
  
*****  
  
After breakfast, Syaoran took off her apron and pajamas. She then put on clean underwear, her dress, shoes, lipstick, and tied her ribbon to her hair like she did everyday. She then headed out towards the potion shop while the other girls cleaned up from breakfast. About twenty minutes to a half hour later, she reached the potion shop that had just opened its doors a few minutes before.  
  
The bell on the top of the door rang when Syaoran walked in. She expected to see the same old woman at the counter, but instead there was a young, short girl, probably the same age as her, with long black hair. "Hello, ma'am. How can I help you?" Syaoran looked around. "Where's the old woman who was working here? She was supposed to be helping me remove this potions effect." The young girl smiled. "What's wrong? You don't look like you have any problems at all. You look like a perfectly normal girl." "I'M A GUY!" The young girl blushed. "OH! Not again!" "What do you mean again?!" "Ummm. this isn't the first time this has happened. Her memory is quite bad, so she probably doesn't remember accidentally transforming her customers into beasts. In fact, I think it was only a few weeks ago that she accidentally gave a young man a potion that turned him into a black cat instead of the speed-enhancer he wanted. If I hadn't found him trying to scratch us a message in the dirt outside our shop, he might have never returned to normal." Syaoran sighed. "Does that mean I might never get back to normal? I mean, being a girl isn't so bad, at least it's better than being a cat, but I think my family will do something drastic if they find out."  
  
"Wait a second." The girl went through some papers on the counter. "Is your name Syaoran?" "Yeah, how'd you know?" "You're in luck. That old woman is my grandmother. It seems like she actually knows what she is doing. She wrote that she found all but one of the necessary ingredients, but she knows where she can get that last ingredient. It's in some near-by village. She should be back any day now." Syaoran's face brightened. "You mean she's going to be able to make my 'Healthy Strong Boy #10?'" "It looks that way. Consider yourself lucky. Not all of our customers have been so fortunate. If she weren't related to me, I'd be staying far away from this shop. She can be so absent-minded. but I'll be sure to help make the potion when she gets back any day now, okay? It should be ready in a week or less." "Okay, thanks!" Syaoran left the store and head back for Kumiko's house.  
  
When she arrived back at home, everyone had just finished straightening up the house. Sakura thought aloud, "I wonder where Kero and Kumiko are. Neither of them has shown up anywhere." Mia answered. "I'm sure they're fine. All Kero had to do was follow her. I don't even think even he could screw that up."  
  
Tomoyo caught a glimpse of Syaoran. "Good morning, Syaoran. Did the potion shop have your potion in today?" "Well, not really. She didn't have the ingredients. In fact, she wasn't even there." "What?!" Sakura gasped. "So there is no way to reverse it?" Syaoran shook her head. "No, there is a way. She's just out getting the last ingredient. Her grand daughter was there in her place. I can go back to normal within a week." Sakura smiled. "Well, that's good to know. but I'm still worried about Kumiko. where could she be?"  
  
*****  
  
Kero hovered in place with a huge smile on his face. "Wow! This is great news! I gotta go tell everyone what's really going on. Right after I find something to eat. I'm starving!"  
  
*****  
  
"Relax, Sakura. I'm sure Kero is wasting no time and doing his job." Mia said. "Yeah, I guess you're right. So, are we all ready to go?" Syaoran turned to Sakura. "Go? Go where?" Tomoyo smiled. "To the hot springs again, silly. Where did you think?"  
  
"To the hot springs?! Again?! After what happened last time?! Why do we need to?" Mia listed the reasons. "First of all, for all we know, Kumiko could be there right now. Second of all, for all we know, KOJI is there. Third of all, those girls that visit there daily seem to know a lot about the people in this village, so we should listen to them. Lastly, and most important of all. We're exhausted. It's time to relax." Syaoran sighed. "YOU try to relax with at least five girls trampling over you, bombarding you with questions." Tomoyo giggled. "But it's cute when that happens! However, if you want, I can help get them off you if you want me to, okay?" Syaoran thought. "Well, that's a little better. but I don't want to end up out in the open. ummm.. with nothing on. I don't want a repeat of my fight with Koji." Tomoyo thought. "I know!"  
  
A moment later, Tomoyo turned her backpack upside down and poured out her clothes. "I'll let you borrow a swimsuit! That way, you won't even need a towel. Is that better?" "Well. alright. I'll do it. But I'm bringing my pendant along just in case Koji shows up. I'll want to summon the sword as defense." Tomoyo smiled. "Well, that's no problem. Now, I only need to decide on the right bathing suit. let's see."  
  
Tomoyo rummaged through all of her clothes and pulled out an armful of bathing suits. A sweat drop rolled down Mia's head. "One of these days, you need to show me how you fit all of this in that tiny backpack." "Ooh!" Sakura exclaimed. "Can I have one, too?" "Sure! I'll find one for you in a minute. Syaoran first. Actually, we'll all wear them!" Tomoyo went back to sorting the suits.  
  
"Let's see. I'll just sort them all by whether they are one piece or two pieces. size. color. shape. design. material. I GOT IT! It's perfect!"  
  
About 20 minutes later, the four girls were just reaching the hot springs. Syaoran wore her pendant around her neck. "You know, I really wish you had let me seen the bathing suit before we agreed to anything." "Don't worry. I know you'll love it. It's perfect in size, shape, design and everything. I double checked every measurement."  
  
Syaoran waited on the outside of the small outlet while the other girls changed. "Okay, Syaoru, your turn. We all have our bathing suits on." Sakura said as they all headed towards the springs wearing one-piece swimwear. "I left the suit in there for you! Just put it on and meet us out here!"  
  
Syaoran stepped into the dressing room and picked up the swimsuit with one hand in disgust. "She expects me to wear THIS?! Oh well, why not. It's better than the towels."  
  
A minute later, Syaoran emerged wearing the brand-new suit hand-picked by Tomoyo. It was a two-piece pink bikini. The top part was very unique. Over each breast, a red fabric formed a semi circle and came down to meet the other at a point to form a red heart over the chest. The bottom piece was plain bright pink. "Well, I guess it isn't that bad. Not too revealing, but not too big. Not too tight, but not so loose like it would fall off. Maybe Tomoyo does know what she's talking about. I guess I'll just get this over with."  
  
Syaoran stepped out into the light of the sun. "Hey, everyone, look! It's Syaoru!" "SYAORU!" "Hey! Come over here!" All of the same girls from the day before called out to her. Syaoran dropped her pendant on the side of the springs and stepped slowly into the steaming water. "Oh my gosh! Look at that!" "What are those things called. I know this." Tomoyo smiled. "It's called a bikini. . They're not too common around here, but they're really popular where I come from. I should know! I designed it myself." The girls changed their focus onto Tomoyo. "You designed this?" "Wow! That's amazing! Do you think you could make one for me like that?" "How about me?" "Me, too!" "Don't forget about me!"  
  
Syaoran took the chance and escaped from the girls who once surrounded her. She sat next to Sakura. "That was close. Tomoyo certainly knows how to handle these kind of people." Sakura giggled and whispered in Syaoran's ear, "Maybe that's because they're so much like her! Don't you see the resemblance?" Syaoran stared at all the girls swarming over Tomoyo, asking her so many questions about bathing suits, accessories, makeup, and everything else related to fashion. Syaoran giggled too. "I guess you're right." She looked round the spring. "But I don't see Kumiko anywhere. Where do you think she went?" "I have no idea. But I hope she comes back soon. I'm starting to get really worried. What if Koji already got to her?" Syaoran thought to herself about what might happen if that was true. "I'll admit that Koji isn't a criminal genius. okay, he's a moron, but I still don't want to even think about what would happen if Kumiko and he were alone." Sakura nodded. "As soon as we leave here, we should go look for her." "Agreed."  
  
One of the girls turned away from Tomoyo for a minute and faced Sakura and Syaoran. "Say, none of you has ever told us why you came to this village. I'm not complaining, mind you, I'm just curious as to why all of you came to such a small village." The other girls turned around too. "Hey, that's right!" "Yeah, I'm kinda curious, too." "Why did you come?"  
  
A sweat drop rolled down each of their heads. They had not planned an excuse for this. "Ummm. well, uhh. Sakura, Tomoyo and I. uhh. Well, actually, we can't tell you. It's kinda a big secret." "A secret? Aww." "C'mon, you can tell us!" "Please! We're dying to know!"  
  
One of the girls thought for a moment and then her eyes lit up. "A secret? OH MY GOD! I think I know! Syaoru, you're going to have a baby aren't you?!" "WHAT! A BABY?!" Syaoran yelled in response with her face turning 30 shades of red. Another girl yelled, "Look! She's blushing! It must be true! Syaoru is pregnant!"  
  
The first girl said, "I bet I know what I going on! Syaoru is married and her husband got her pregnant just before leaving on a trip in a distant land to fight a war and now she's come all this way in search of him! OH! Who's the lucky father?"  
  
Sakura and Tomoyo sat in shock, not moving or saying a word. "B-But I'm not." Syaoran stuttered. "Hey! I wonder if we can feel the baby kick! Let me feel!" The girls simultaneously lifted Syaoran up and sat her down on the edge of the springs. They all tried to put their heads to Syaoran's stomach at once.  
  
"Wait, I don't think the baby will start to kick until after Syaoru starts to show but-Hey! I think I just felt it!" "Oops! No, sorry, that was just me knocking my elbow into you. Gomen!" "Hey! Let me feel!" "C'mon! Let me feel!" Syaoran continued to blush. "But. I'm. I'm not. I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE A BABY!" All of the girls gasped. "You really mean that?" Syaoran sighed. "Yes, I really mean that. I don't even have a husband!" "Aww. That's too bad." "Yeah. If it was a girl, you could have named it after one of us." Tomoyo grinned. "I'll tell you what we're REALLY doing here!" "Really? You will!" The girls once again swarmed around Tomoyo.  
  
Syaoran let herself sink under the water for a few seconds. When she returned to the surface, she sighed. "That had to be the most humiliating moment of my life." Sakura laughed nervously. "Umm. it wasn't that bad."  
  
"WOW! That's so touching!" "You're all so lucky!" "I want to do that, too!" "Imagine, going on a journey through all of Japan, searching for true love. It's all so romantic!"  
  
Tomoyo swam over to Sakura and Syaoran. All Syaoran could say was, "Tomoyo, you're simply amazing." Tomoyo giggled. "Well, I know how they think. I knew a love story would keep them busy."  
  
"OH, MY GOD! LOOK UP THERE!" A girl screamed loudly and pointed to the top of the cave behind them. "AHH! A man! There's a man in the women's bath!" Sakura, Syaoran, Mia, and Tomoyo turned around and all yelled, "KOJI!"  
  
Indeed, Koji sat on the small cave, dressed in a black kimono (The Japanese robe) with two guns at his side in their holsters.  
  
He leaped from the peak of the cave and landed at the side of the hot springs. Sakura backed away. "Don't worry, Kinomoto. Today, I'm not after you or your friends. I am here for one reason." His eyes began to sparkle when he grabbed Syaoran by the hand and lifted her out of the water. "I have come to declare my eternal love to you, Miss Syaoru!"  
  
"HOE!" Sakura yelled, while all the other girls, including Syaoran who was now bright red, unanimously responded with, "WHAT?!" "I thought I told you no yesterday!" "Ah, but I am a changed man! Yesterday, I merely lusted for you. Lusted for your fantastic body. But today, I love you and lust for you." Syaoran backed into a fighting stance. "I'm warning you, sicko. If you make so much as one false move."  
  
"That's what I mean! So aggressive. such anger. such ferocity. I didn't think such a thing could exist in a woman! I must have you! Just think of it! Together, as a couple, we can work side by side and bring all those who oppose us to their knees!"  
  
Syaoran thought to herself, "This guy IS insane! First, he's thinking of lust, then love, and now world domination. What's wrong with him? He's not getting this girl, that's all I know."  
  
"I knew from the moment I laid eyes on you I needed to have you. I know you can love me, too." Syaoran's anger started to rise. "Are you insane? Do you really think I'd ever love OR join you?"  
  
Koji stepped closer and wrapped his arm around her. Syaoran grew angrier by the second. "C'mon. just listen to me. why don't I help you out of this bathing suit and we'll find someplace alone where we can talk things over after a little fun?" Syaoran could feel Koji's hand reaching up her back for the string that held her suit up, so she jumped back and got out of Koji's grip. "One last warning. That's all I'll give you. Never lay your hands on me again!"  
  
Koji grinned. "Don't be that way. just think about it. What do you say?"  
  
Syaoran stared silently for a moment into Koji's eyes as the sadistic grin disappeared from the demon's face.  
  
CRASH!  
  
Koji came flying through the bamboo fence while Syaoran charged out, sword in hand. "DIE, YOU PIG!" Koji just barely missed being sliced in half by Syaoran's sword as she brought it crashing into the hard stone ground. Syaoran raised the sword again and prepared to bring it down, but Koji held his Orb of Teleportation and vanished just before the final blow could be struck.  
  
Koji reappeared about 20 feet away, staring at her. "I know deep down that you love me as I do you, Syaoru. Please, think it over. I will come back here tomorrow and await your response. Until then, my fair and beautiful maiden, I bid you adieu." Koji disappeared in a flash of light. A moment of silence filled the air, until everyone started to clap. "YEAH! Syaoru! You show that perverted idiot who's in charge!" "That was amazing! I didn't know you knew how to handle a sword!" "Handle? She could probably beat every swordsman in Japan with those kind of attacks!" "Yeah! Did you see that guy crash through the fence? I've never seen someone fly like that!"  
  
Syaoran blushed and turned her head away from the girls. "Uhh. I kinda lost my temper. Sorry about the fence." She stepped through the broken bamboo and sat back down in the springs. "Hey, don't worry! It will be worth repairing the fence just to see that pervert fly through it!"  
  
Syaoran crossed her arms. "Ugh. The more I think about it, the sicker I get. I can't believe he LOVES me. Is he insane? This is humiliating." Mia burst into laughter. Syaoran's eyes resembled those of a cat as a vein popped up on his forehead. "What's so funny?!"  
  
Mia gave an almost evil grin. "This may not be so bad after all! If we play our cards right, we can use this to make a trap to finally catch Koji once and for all!"  
  
Love and Peace! 


	10. All's Fair in Love and War

Chapter 10- All's Fair in Love and War  
  
"REALLY?!" Tomoyo asked impatiently. "Do you really have a plan to stop Koji?" Mia nodded and grinned. "It's so simple a four-year-old could think it up. But seeing that performance by Koji, I'd say a four-year-old is far more intelligent than him." Syaoran whispered, "Why don't we take this outside where THEY aren't listening?" Syaoran pointed to the group of girls standing right behind them, listening intently. "Good idea. I'll tell you outside after we change." Tomoyo turned to the girls. "Sorry, but we really have to go. We'll be back tomorrow!" The girls all sighed. "Okay. Good- bye." "Yeah, see you later."  
  
A few minutes later, Syaoran finished changing and emerged from the cave to meet up with the other girls. "So, what's the plan?" Syaoran asked, straightening her bow. Mia grinned. "Quite simple, really. All you have to do is fall madly in love with Koji." Syaoran turned pale. "WHAT?! NO WAY IN HELL!" Mia laughed. "Well, I don't mean literally! We just need you to pretend that you are in love with him. Just act as if you were his girlfriend." Syaoran slowly took a few steps back. "No! That's where I draw the line! I've dressed like a girl, acted like a girl, taken baths with girls, but I refuse to be anyone's girlfriend, especially to that pig! You saw that he was trying to remove my bathing suit WHILE I was threatening him! Just imagine what he might attempt if I was acting like I liked him? I don't even want to think about it." Mia chuckled. "What if I told you that if you did this, we would not only stop Koji, but you'd get him at close range and trapped until you could beat him half to death?" Syaoran's look of fear turned to a small grin. "Alright. I'm in. What's the entire plan?" Mia laughed. "I knew you'd see it my way."  
  
Spinnel leaned over the top of the cave. "Hmm. I think Master may want to hear about this."  
  
Everyone huddled in together. "Okay, this is the entire plan. Tomorrow, Koji said he would be here tomorrow. That's when we strike first. All we have to do is." Mia started to whisper quietly. When the entire plan was laid out, Tomoyo gasped. "MIA! That's sneaky, low, and underhanded. I LOVE IT!" She grinned, but Syaoran sighed. "I'm still not sure if I'm willing to do this." Tomoyo laughed. "You can do it, you little heartbreaker!" "Heartbreaker?" Sakura giggled. "I like the plan! It's a lot better than just sitting around and waiting for Koji to make the first move." Mia clapped her hands together. "Then it's settled. Tomorrow, we set the trap!" Syaoran shook his head. "I don't know. It seems a little too cheap." Mia turned to Syaoran. "There is one lesson you must learn: All's fair in love and war! There is no cheating. If you don't do this, Sakura may disappear. How can you let that happen?"  
  
Mia turned Syaoran around to meet eye to eye with Sakura, who was pouting and starting to cry. "Please, Syaoran? I don't want to disappear." Syaoran broke down. "Alright! I'll do it! Just stop the puppy dog eyes! But don't think I won't get my revenge still. After this is all done, I'm going to make sure I get what's coming to me." Mia nodded. "Fine, you can have your so-called 'revenge,' but you have to follow the plan EXACTLY." Syaoran nodded his head. "Alright. It's a deal."  
  
Kero came flying in from above. "Hey! You guys! I got some great news!" Sakura smiled and hugged the beast. "Kero! I'm so glad you're okay!" He grinned. "I'm better than okay! I think I may have found not only what is making Kumiko so happy, but it may be the deciding factor in how this mission goes! Follow me!"  
  
The group ran along the trail Kero led them as fast as they could. Mia said to him, "You know Kero, we have some good news of our own! We may have found the perfect trap for Koji. Come here and I'll tell it to you." Kero flew next to Mia's mouth as they ran. "Uh-huh? Yeah? Really? HA HA! Koji is in love with the gaki? That's priceless!" Syaoran grabbed Kero and squeezed him tight. "Do you want to end up as a piece of a wardrobe again?" Kero wailed his arms and shook his head. "No! No! I'm sorry! Okay?" She let him go. "Now come on, all of you! I'll show you Kumiko's little secret!"  
  
A few minutes later, the five of them reached the beach as the sun was setting. "The beach? What are we doing here? We should have brought our bathing suits with us!" Tomoyo asked impatiently. "Hush. Let's stand over there behind those rocks." Kero said, pointing to a group of tall, gray, rocks on the edge of the sand.  
  
They made there way to the boulders and hid. "Okay, what now?" Syaoran asked. "Listen! Also, take a peek at the couple behind us staring at the waves! They've been there all day." They all slowly rose to their feet and peeked their heads around the rocks. Mia squinted her eyes and said, "The sunset is too bright. I can tell the girl on the left is Kumiko. It's definitely her. But who is that to her right?" Syaoran stared hard at the two figures. "I can't tell, either. Come on, let's get a better view." Syaoran started to climb up the rocks until she could almost see over the top of the rocks. "Rats. I'm just a little too short. Hey! What are you doing?" Sakura started to climb up the rocks and onto Syaoran. "Give me a boost! You're 16, so you're the tallest."  
  
Syaoran lifted Sakura onto her shoulders and she leaned over the rocks. Tomoyo whispered, "Can you see anything?" "Yeah! The view up here is much better. That's definitely Kumiko. Now. the other girl. Wait! That's no girl! I think. I think that's Hitoshi!" "HITOSHI?!" The other girls cried out. "Yeah! Syaoran, do you think you can hold someone else up, too?" Syaoran nodded. "I think I can hold one more."  
  
Tomoyo climbed up onto Syaoran's left shoulder. "Hey! Look at that! The dark brown hair like Touya. he cute little ears. and most of all, those perfect emerald eyes! That's Sakura's ancestor if I ever saw him."  
  
In the distance, Kumiko and Hitoshi faced each other and they shared a few words. "What are they saying?" Sakura asked. "I think they're saying good- bye." "HOEEEE! You mean it's over already? It was just getting started!" Tomoyo raised one finger. "Wait a second!"  
  
Kumiko and Hitoshi embraced and slowly brought their faces closer and. "Look at that! Are they going to kiss?" Sakura yelled. Tomoyo gasped. "It looks that little pep talk you gave her paid off!"  
  
"Whoa! Sakura! Tomoyo! Stop shaking so much! I can't hold you up!" Syaoran started to shake. "HOEEE!" Sakura fell backwards off Syaoran's shoulders and Mia caught her. She set her down and caught Tomoyo who fell next. "Arigotou, Mia!" Tomoyo said. "That was close!" "WAAHHHH!" Syaoran fell backwards and landed on her head on the hard ground. Sakura gasped. "Syaoran! Are you alright? Oh, my God! She landed on her head! Are you alright? Say something!" Syaoran slowly turned her head. "S-S-Sakura. do me a favor." "What is it?! Please be okay!" ".Don't yell in my ear. I have a terrible headache." Sakura laughed nervously for a moment. "Sorry! Come on; let's get you home. You're bleeding a little bit. Nothing serious, but you probably shouldn't walk tonight."  
  
A few minutes later, Sakura and Mia lifted Syaoran and Tomoyo and Kero treated the wound on her head. They eventually arrived at the house after about 20 minutes and they laid Syaoran down on the bed and tucked her in. Tomoyo put some bandages on around the cut. "Just get some rest. You'll be fine in the morning." Sakura said. "I know! I'll go see if we have the ingredients for honey-milk. That always cheers me up when I'm sick or injured."  
  
There was a knock at the front door.  
  
"On second thought, I'll go get the door first. Be right back!" She opened the door. "Hello, can I help you?" Sakura said. There was a young, short, girl with long black hair. "Hello. Is there a young woman named Syaoran here?" Sakura nodded. "Yes. Do you know her?" The young woman nodded. "I work down at the potion shop. She requested a specific potion, but I told her my grandmother wouldn't be back for a few days with the ingredients. However, she has returned earlier than expected and she felt so bad about not having the potion in the first place that she has brought her a little present." She held up a small velvet bag. "Can you give this to her? And tell her that the potion she wants should be ready within the next few days, though it may need to settle for a while after it's done." Sakura nodded. "Sure! That was very nice! Arigotou! Sayonara." Sakura closed the door and headed back to the guest room.  
  
She put the bag on top of Syaoran's bag. "What's this?" Syaoran asked. "Some woman from the potion dropped it off. She said her grandmother returned and your potion should be ready very soon, but her grandma felt so guilty that she gave you this gift. Go on! Open it!" Syaoran sat up and opened the bag. "What the--? More potions?" Syaoran wet searching through them. "Strength enhancer, speed enhancer, invisibility, and-" Syaoran gasped as she lifted one specific potion from the bag. "This is. Mia, I think I just found one way to make our plan even better as well as give that Koji guy the shock of his life!" Mia smiled. "Really? What is it?" Syaoran turned to Tomoyo. "But first, I have a favor to ask you."  
  
An hour later.  
  
Kumiko came home, still acting happy and carefree. "Hello, Kumiko!" Sakura said as she was preparing dinner. Kumiko just sighed. "Well, you look like you're in a good mood again!" Kumiko smiled. "Yeah. and it's all thanks to you, Sakura! I took you advice and ignored all those insults and self pity and I had. At first, it wasn't easy, but it has gotten much easier. Thank you." Sakura blushed. "It was nothing, really! I was just telling the truth!"  
  
Tomoyo giggled, sewing up an outfit in her hands. "Would this have anything to do with anything you did today?" Kumiko laughed nervously. "No! Of course not! I'm just happy overall! I don't know what you're talking about! .Say, Tomoyo, what's that?" Syaoran held up some cloths into better lighting so she could sew better. "Oh, Syaoru got a little bump on the head today." "Oh my! Is she alright?" Sakura nodded. "There's a little blood, but she'll be fine." Tomoyo continued to work. "Anyway, she asked if I'd work on a special outfit just for her. I just finished a special surprise for Sakura and her, so I figured I'd do it for her." Sakura put a pot of rice down. "I didn't think she was one who really cared about fashion. Oh well. I better go take her and Mia some dinner."  
  
"I won't do it!" "Come on, say it!" "No way!" "Syaoran, if you don't practice, you'll never get it right in time and this whole thing could blow up in you face!" Syaoran sighed. "Fine! 'You know, you're really handsome up close.'" "Perfect!"  
  
Sakura walked in to the guest room with three bowls of rice to see Mia sitting on Syaoran's bed with Syaoran still in it. "Hee hee! You're getting better, Syaoran! If I didn't know any better, I would say you've always been a girl!" Syaoran blushed deeply. "This is so humiliating." Sakura placed a tray of rice down in front of each of them. "Don't be embarrassed. Just think of all the good this will do. We can all go back to living a normal life, especially you. Well, normal for us, anyways. I have the feeling we'll see more strange things once we return." Syaoran stared at the full moon out the window as she stuffed rice into her mouth. "I don't know, I have a bad feeling about this."  
  
The next day, all of the girls headed towards the hot springs as planned. Once they had put on their swimsuits and stepped into the springs, everyone was silent. Not even the young girls who would have normally been swarming over Syaoran said a word. They knew Koji would show up any minute. They knew he was watching nearby. They just sat in wait.  
  
Stomp  
  
They all turned around and saw Koji step out of the shadows of the cave. "Syaoru, my sweet." He tossed her a bouquet of red roses whose petals blew in the wind when Syaoran caught them. "I have returned. Please let me know how you feel. I must have you!" Syaoran turned to Mia, who nodded. Syaoran stood up and walked towards Koji. "Now listen. I'll tell you this once, and only once."  
  
"I LOVE YOU, KOJI!"  
  
His entire face lit up. "You. you. you. REALLY?!" Syaoran wrapped one arm around Koji and slowly moved her hand through his hair. "Yes, it's true." She curled a strand of his hair on her finger. "I realized it last night. I pushed you away because I was in denial. I couldn't be in love. but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I was in love with you."  
  
The other girls had their jaws dropped as they watched Syaoran in action.  
  
"You know, you're really handsome up close." Koji's face turned red. "I can't believe it! This is the happiest day of my life!" Sakura smiled. "You should have heard her talking about you all night!" Koji smiled from ear to ear. "I. I don't know what to say! Just kiss me!"  
  
Koji leaned forward to kiss Syaoran, but she leaned back and instead of her lips, Koji kissed Syaoran's stomach. A giant sweat drop rolled down her face. "Ummm. actually, I have a better idea to make this more. romantic. Meet me back here tonight at midnight. Champagne, candlelight, fine food, the works. I'll make sure this will be a night we'll never forget." Koji smiled and let go of Syaoran. "I see. That would be much better, away from prying eyes. I shall count the seconds until we meet again! Sayonara, my love." Koji pulled out the Orb of Teleportation and disappeared.  
  
The girls behind Syaoran looked furious. "Syaoru, how could you?" "Yeah, what happened to beating him to a pulp?" "What happened?" "How could you do that?"  
  
Syaoran simply ignored them as her face turned red. "AUGH! I think I'm going to be sick! I can't believe he tried to kiss me! If he had, I'd be looking for a new mouth!" The girls looked on in confusion. "What the heck are you talking about? You just told him you were in love with him!" Syaoran turned around. "LOVE him? I can't stand the pig! Did you see the way he was looking at me? A little eye contact would have been nice instead of him staring at me chest. He's such a pervert." "Wait. you mean you were just TEASING him?" Mia laughed. "It's just phase one of our plan to get our revenge on the poor fool. We'll get him back! But we'll need your help for phase two. Are you girls in?" They all smiled. "You bet!"  
  
A half hour later, everyone was hard at work preparing for the big event. Sakura and Syaoran started to boil water over an open flame so they could begin cooking later. A pair of girls hung Japanese lanterns on the side of the cave. Mia and Tomoyo set up a small table with white tablecloth, silverware, and candles. "I got the champagne!" A girl screamed as she ran back. Kero landed beside Sakura and whispered, "I wrote the note telling Kumiko we'll be having a campout at the beach tonight so she won't worry." Within three hours, it was all ready. "Well," Mia said, wiping the sweat from her forehead, "that's it. We're all set. Phase 3 may now begin. You all know what to do, right?" Tomoyo smiled. "Syaoru, I left the things you wanted in the desired spot. I wish you would tell us what you wanted with that stuff. You keep telling us you have some big surprise in store, but you won't tell us what. Oh well, we'll find out soon enough. But first, the final touch!" Tomoyo tossed Syaoran and Sakura a pair of cloth. "What are these?" Sakura asked. "The matching dresses, of course, try them on!"  
  
Sakura and Syaoran looked at each other in their new outfits. "Wow! That's adorable!" A girl cried out. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say they were twins, only one's a little older!" They both wore a long, red, silk dress that extended to their feet. The dresses were both strapless. They both had sandals made of reed. Tomoyo even gave Sakura a matching red bow. "I love it!" Sakura exclaimed. "Well, at least it's easy to move in." Syaoran observed. "Now. we wait."  
  
Hours passed without event.  
  
Mia looked up at the moon. "I'd say it's about 11 pm to 11:45. I think it's time. Everyone, take your places!" Everyone except Syaoran made a run for it and got out of sight. Syaoran stepped just outside of the cave. The girls had taken the bamboo fence down and left the hot springs exposed. All they had to do was wait.  
  
Footsteps came in the distance. Syaoran took a deep breath and calmed down. "Alright, this is it. Just stay calm, and resist the urge to try and drown him in the hot springs. for now."  
  
Koji slowly walked into the light of the lanterns. "Hello, my love. We meet again. and all of this is for us?" Syaoran nodded as she walked towards him. His eyes bulged as she approached. "My darling, you look simply dazzling!" Syaoran laughed flirtatiously. "Why, thank you! Come, let us eat before we do anything. I have a meal fit for a king all set out, with the finest of champagne."  
  
They sat down at the table beside the springs. Candlelight was glowing on their faces. There was fish, rice, noodles, soup, salad, and anything they could have wanted. Koji lifted his wine glass and said, "I propose a toast, to us!" "To us!" "And our love" Syaoran's hands started to tremble. "And. our.. l-l-love!" They both took a sip of their wine.  
  
(Author's Note: Syaoran hates the taste of wine. His was really just grape juice, but Koji didn't know that.)  
  
Syaoran used his training with Mia to eat like a perfect lady. Koji, however, ate like a pig. He ate rice with his hands, slurped his soup, made a mess with his fish, and got salad dressing on his face. "Sheesh, this guy is a total slob!"  
  
As soon as they finished, Koji belched. "Now that we have eaten, my darling, what shall we do?" Koji leaned forward and rubbed his hand up and down Syaoran's back. He gave an evil grin. ".As if I didn't already know." Syaoran wanted to just deck him, but she stayed cool. "Stay calm. stick to the plan. Just ignore him." Syaoran stood up. "Why don't we take a nice little bath together? I know we'll have a LOT of fun. If you take my meaning." Koji's face lit up. "Oh, I think I know what you mean." Koji took off his jacket, shirt, and shoes and just jumped right into the hot springs. "What are you waiting for? Come on in!" Syaoran laughed. "Err. Actually, I have a special surprise I have in store JUST for this occasion!" Koji smiled even more. "Really? This is getting even better! Just hurry back!" Syaoran smiled. "Just let me slip out of this dress and into something more. suitable for the occasion."  
  
Syaoran darted into the cave. "Now is my chance. Look at that fool. relaxing as if I were actually going to come in there with him. time to make it all happen." Syaoran took off her dress and tossed it out the front of the cave. It was too dark for Koji to see her, but he saw the dress come out, followed by her shoes and underwear. He grinned from ear to ear as he thought his perverted thoughts.  
  
Syaoran grabbed the potion that had been left there as she slipped on what Tomoyo had given her. "It's too big. Oh well, that won't be a problem in a minute." She took the ribbon out of her hair. "Well, bottoms up." Syaoran drank the entire bottle of the mysterious concoction.  
  
"Are you ready, my sexy dream boat?" Syaoran sighed. "Oh, I'm ready. I just hope YOU ARE!" Syaoran said in a deep voice. "Huh? Is there something wrong with your voice?" Syaoran laughed. "No, but you'll wish that that is all it was!" Syaoran charged out of the cave, armed with a sword.  
  
She leapt into the air. but she was no longer she! 'She' was a 17-year-old man! The only clothes he wore were a pair of jeans he had Tomoyo make for him. Koji jumped back out of the springs and barely dodged his blade. "Who are you?! What did you do to my angel?!" Syaoran didn't say anything. He merely kicked Koji across the jaw and began to pummel him in a flurry of attacks.  
  
Sakura, Tomoyo, Mia, and the other girls stood in shock with their jaws dropped. "How did he. That is, he didn't. umm." Mia stuttered. Syaoran lifted Koji high above his head. "SAKURA! NOW!"  
  
Sakura snapped out of her trance-like shock and prepared herself. "Key that hides the power of the Stars, reveal your true form to me! By our contract, I, Sakura, command you! RELEASE!" Sakura tossed a Sakura Card into the air. "WINDY CARD! BECOME A BINDING CHAIN!"  
  
The Windy Spirit left the Sakura Card and flew around Koji until it had a tight grip around him and he couldn't move. Syaoran could finally let go. "YES!" All of the girls snapped out of their shock and raced towards Koji who was laid out and completely immobile on the ground.  
  
Koji sighed. "I can't believe it. The greatest night of my life. shattered, once again by Kinomoto and her pathetic friends. I just have one question." He turned to Syaoran. "WHO ARE YOU? What have you done with my Syaoru, my true love? I swear, if you have harmed one hair on her head." Mia sighed. "You don't get it, do you, Koji?" Syaoran sighed. "You know who I am? I'm Syaoran! I thought I told you to remember that name." Koji's eyes widened. "YOU'RE the brat? But he's only a little kid." Syaoran grabbed the bottle of potion he drank before and put the label in his face. "Healthy Strong Boy #17?" Koji read aloud.  
  
"Wait, I don't get it." "Does this mean you all have magic powers?" "Hey, where IS Syaoru?" "Yeah, where did she go?" "I hope she's alright." "Well, she couldn't have gone too far since all of her clothes are right here. She's probably just embarrassed to come out." "Well, wouldn't you be embarrassed if you were naked in front of strangers?"  
  
Koji started to plead. "Please! Answer me! Where is Syaoru?" Syaoran just sighed. "I AM Syaoru." "WHAT?!" All of the girls exclaimed. "YOU?! But how can you be my love? You're lying!" Mia replied, "There was a mix up down at the potion shop. It turned Syaoran into a girl. Then we found out you loved 'Syaoru,' and decided to use that against you."  
  
Koji's face was that of utter shock, sadness and disgust. "You didn't! You couldn't! No. You all make me sick! When I get free, I swear. I'm going to- " Mia grinned. "I don't think you're going anywhere. Sakura, go ahead."  
  
Sakura threw a Clow Card into the air. "ARROW CARD!"  
  
A graceful female archer rose high into the air and pulled a glowing light blue arrow from her quiver. She placed it in her bow and pulled back, carefully aiming for Koji as everyone backed away. The Windy Card held Koji tighter as he struggled.  
  
"What's going on up there?" Kumiko asked herself. "First Sakura and everyone disappear for the night, and now there seems to be some weird light coming from the hot springs!"  
  
Koji looked infuriated. "No. I won't let this. You've all ripped my heart out. I can't let you stop me. You've killed my glorious leader, Sadin, and now you've taken away my one true love." The Arrow Card released its arrow and it whizzed through the air. "I WON'T ALLOW DEFEAT!" The arrow split into 40 different arrows that all plummeted to Koji.  
  
"YARGH!" Koji pushed with all his might against the Windy Card. The arrows came closer, but with one final burst of strength, Koji flung the Windy Card off of him. He grabbed the Orb of Teleportation that lay at his feet and vanished. The arrows showered the ground where Koji once sat. "Where'd he go?" Syaoran asked.  
  
Click. Click.  
  
Koji appeared behind Syaoran, holding one pistol in Syaoran's back and one aimed at Sakura. "Well, it appears once again I find the two of you at gunpoint. You both sicken me. You played with a man's heart. Even I wouldn't do that. too much."  
  
Syaoran smiled. "You know, you may want to look behind you." Koji lifted the gun pointed at Syaoran higher. "So, first you deceive me, now you try to trick me with the oldest tactic? Don't mock me." Sakura smiled. "Well, don't say we didn't warn you." Koji grimaced. "What do you take me for? An id-"  
  
SMASH!  
  
Koji fell to the ground face first. Above him, stood Kumiko holding a large stick. "So, first, you try to destroy my life and now you threaten my friends? Sakura helped me, and I'm not about to let you and your hatred keep me from repaying her the favor." Everyone clapped. "Way to go, Kumiko!" She blushed. "It was nothing! I couldn't just watch you all get hurt! I-huh? Who are you?" She stared at Syaoran. One of the girls added, "Yeah, I was wondering that too. I thought I heard you say that YOU were Syaoran and Syaoru. But that's impossible. Syaoran is a little boy and Syaoru is a teenage girl. And you. Well, you're obviously not either of those!" Syaoran sighed. Let me explain it for one last time. I AM both Syaoran and Syaoru. There was a mix up at the potion shop that turned me into Syaoru. Originally, I was Syaoran. In fact, that's who I am now, just a bit older." Sakura nodded. "Yes, I recognize it! You're just as handsome as when I saw you like this before!"  
  
Everyone stared at Sakura, except for Syaoran, who was hiding his face because he was blushing. It took a few moments for her brain to register what she had said. But as soon as it did, her face turned bright red. "Uhh. what I meant was. ummm. I have seen Syaoran like this before and I just remember the way he looks!" She laughed nervously as a sweat drop rolled down her head.  
  
One girl laughed. "No, you were right the first time! He's a cutie!" Syaoran's face brightened. "No, really, I'm not." "Don't be so modest! Nice muscles, smooth skin, an adorable face, untamed hair." "Please say you don't have a girlfriend, because I want to be it!" "No, I want to!" "Me!" "No, me!" Syaoran rubbed his forehead. "This has been a LONG week."  
  
Sakura started to turn red in anger and jealousy. She wrapped herself in Syaoran's arms. "I'm very sorry, but he's taken." Everyone stared. "Wait, you mean you two. are a couple?" "That's so cute!" "I love it!" Sakura once again realized what she had said and blushed. "Ummm. actually, I meant. he's taken. too much. time away from his job! You see, he works up in a city north of here to support his family. but we decided to all take a trip and our ship was washed ashore, so we've been searching for the right trail back! So, we'll be leaving soon." Everyone frowned. "You're leaving soon?" "That's too bad." "If you're leaving, we need to throw you a going away party!" "Yeah, that's a great idea!" "I can cook the meals!" "This is going to be so much fun!" "What do you guys think?" Syaoran yawned. "Can we at LEAST wait until morning? I'm beat." Sakura and Tomoyo nodded in agreement.  
  
Mia said, "Yes, let's all get some well deserved rest. But first, we should finish of. HEY! WHERE DID KOJI GO?!" They all looked down to see that Koji had disappeared. "Oh, my God! He's gone! Everyone stay calm. I'll deal with him." Syaoran said as he grabbed his sword that had been dropped on the ground.  
  
In a flash of green light, Koji reappeared on top of the hot spring's cave. "You may have won this round, Kinomoto and Li, but I will be back. And next time, I won't go so easy on all of you. Actually, I have a better idea. Maybe I won't kill you next time. I'll just destroy your heart, as you did to me! Sayonara!" Koji pulled out the Mirror of Time and summoned a portal open.  
  
Mia's finger glowed a bright green. She aimed it like a gun at the portal. "TIME TRACKER!" A bright light surged through the air and shot through the portal. "Time Tracker?" Syaoran asked. "Yeah. That's the name I came up for that attack. Now I can tell what time period he's in."  
  
The girls and Kumiko stood in disbelief. They still didn't know what was going on. "Where did that guy go?" Kumiko asked. Sakura laughed. "Don't worry. I think he won't be showing his face around HERE anymore." She clenched her chest in relief. "That's good. I still feel kinda guilty about hitting him." Tomoyo laughed. "Don't feel bad. He had it coming. But why don't we all just go home for now and sleep?" Sakura yawned. "Yeah. let's talk about everything in the morning. I never stay up this late."  
  
The next morning.  
  
Sakura and Syaoran were the last to wake up. They both put on new clothes, including a green kimono for Syaoran that one of the girls loaned him because all he had were those jeans he wore the night before. When they stepped out into the kitchen, they heard a noise from outside. They stepped out the front door and. "SURPRISE!"  
  
"Hoe? What's this?" Sakura asked. Kumiko smiled. "You have been such a great help, that we decided to throw you all a good-bye lunch!" Syaoran scratched his head. "Lunch? But it's so early in the morning." Mia pointed towards the sun. "Is the sun all the way in the west in the morning? It's about 3 pm! You've been asleep for so long we thought you were in a coma!" Sakura and Syaoran laughed nervously. "Well, we never have stayed up so late before!" Sakura said. Tomoyo smiled. "Don't worry, Sakura. We anticipated that and we made a special lunch for you! Take a look."  
  
Across the long table was a feast large enough to feed a village. Actually, it looked as if the entire village had shown up to eat! Fish, rice, soups, salads, fruits, vegetables, anything they could think of was there. Sakura and Syaoran took their seats at the end closest to the house next to Kumiko, Mia, Tomoyo, and the girls who had helped out at the hot springs. Sakura's stomach growled loudly. She blushed deeply. "This looks great! I haven't eaten since lunch YESTERDAY!"  
  
A young boy with deep green eyes came up from behind Kumiko and hugged her. "I hear you are the ones who have been helping Kumiko with her self-esteem. I want to personally thank you." Tomoyo smiled. "You must be Hitoshi then. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Sakura agreed. "Yes, I've wanted to meet you face to face." Mia nodded her head. "I'm glad to finally see you in person ever since I heard about you." Hitoshi laughed. "I'm nothing special, really! But I must admit it. I could never love anyone more than I love Kumiko." The couple blushed deeply. Mia laughed. "Hmmm. I wonder if there is anyone else here at this table who could possibly say that." She eyed Sakura and Syaoran. They both just blinked, completely oblivious to what Mia was saying. "Hoe? What are you talking about?" "Who is this couple?" Mia sighed. "Never mind."  
  
Shortly after lunch began, the girl from the potion shop approached Sakura. "Pardon me, Sakura, but have you seen Syaoran-san?" Syaoran raised his hand. "That's me." The girl looked baffled. "What do you mean? Syaoran is currently a girl." "Your grandmother packed me a little bit of #17." The girl was furious. "Her vision is getting worse by the day! I wish she had TOLD me about that! But anyways, I have your potion right here." She handed it to him. "It needs to simmer for a day or so, though. Just wait 24 hours until you drink it. Syaoran beamed with delight. "Don't worry, just as long as I have it, I'm fine." "Good. I hope to see you again soon." "Sayonara."  
  
The young girl was about 15 feet away when she turned around. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" She came back. "Do you still have that bag of potions?" Syaoran nodded. "Of course. Here." He handed her the bag. She opened it up. "Now, I remember what my grandmother told me. These are new and improved formula. Everything in this bag is temporary." Syaoran's eyes shrunk. "You mean. I won't be a boy for that long?" The young woman thought for a moment. "Oh dear. you're right. This means you will become a girl again, soon. Wait, never mind. The effects of the 'Healthy Strong Boy #10' aren't temporary, so they'll override these effects. Plus, the potion should be ready before you change back. So feel free to use ANY of these potions, alright?" Syaoran wiped the nervous sweat off his forehead. "That's good. Be sure to thank your grandmother for me." "I will. Good-bye, Syaoran, Sakura, and everyone."  
  
Mia smiled as she looked at Syaoran. "Well, now, that wasn't so bad, was it? You have your potion, Koji is gone, and we can go home, soon. You even got a free gift bag of potions out of it."  
  
That's when the idea hit Syaoran. "You know, speaking of free gifts, I have something for all of you, my friends. Be right back." Syaoran ran into the house. Sakura leaned over to Tomoyo and Mia. "Hey, when do you think we should tell Syaoran his hair is still about 2 or 3 feet long and braided?" She giggled. Mia sighed. "You mean you haven't told him.? Good! This is so funny!" Tomoyo thought a loud. "But I like his hair like that! It's cute and very original for a boy. Especially at his age."  
  
A moment later, Syaoran came out of the house carrying a wine bottle and three wine glasses. He set one down in front of Sakura, Tomoyo, and Mia. "In my family, we have a tradition. After certain major accomplishments, we treat our friends to a special drink of our family's special imported wine." He poured a small amount into each of the girl's glasses. Sakura gasped. "Wait, isn't this some sort of rare wine or something?" Syaoran nodded. "Yes, it's a very rare and expensive wine. But don't worry, it is only three glasses and it is a special occasion. I think we all deserve it. But I'm afraid this is all I can serve. It is customary to serve only three glasses." Mia scratched her chin. "Only serve three glasses? That's the weirdest tradition I've ever heard. Are you sure about that? And you're not going to have ANY?" Syaoran shook his head. "Weird or not, tradition is tradition. And the server is never to drink any. I forget where it originated from, but it has been in the Li family for generations. Enough talk, drink up!"  
  
All three girls took a small sip. "Mmm! This is delicious!" Syaoran smiled. "I'm glad you like it. And there is very little alcohol, so don't worry about being affected by that, especially with these small glasses." Mia thought aloud. "You know, it is great, but I can't help but notice it smells familiar. sort of like a place we were at recently. Anyway, this is strange. First you say you want revenge on us for all the humiliating experiences over the last week, and now your treating us to wine. This is so unlike you, Syaoran!" He laughed. "Trust me, it isn't." Tomoyo finished all of her wine in a giant gulp. "That was excellent. but I'm starting to feel. weird." Sakura said, "That's weird, me too." She scratched her head. and felt something awkward. "Huh?"  
  
Sakura felt some weird object jutting out of her head. It was thin and. furry. Everyone one at the table stared in absolute amazement. No one said a word. Sakura reached for a mirror she had in her bag. She stared into it and her eyes shrunk. "HOEEEEEEEE!"  
  
Syaoran burst out into laughter. He couldn't hold it in any longer. "YOU TURNED ME INTO A CAT! MEOW!" On top of Sakura's head were two auburn and furry cat ears and a long auburn tail stuck out of her skirt. Even her teeth looked more like that of a cat. Syaoran managed to stop laughing and wipe his tears away long enough to explain. "Well, a half-cat half-girl, actually. I knew you'd fall for it! My family has no tradition like that! All the 'wine' really is grape juice mixed with a potion from the shop. It was too easy!" Sakura turned to Tomoyo and Mia. They, too, were cats. Tomoyo had black ears and a tail, and Mia had white ears and a tail. All of them had cute pink inner ears. "Tomoyo, say something!" Tomoyo stood up and walked over to Syaoran. "I have only one thing to say to you."  
  
"THANK YOU! I LOVE IT! IT'S SO KAWAII!" Sakura, Mia, Syaoran, and everyone else's jaws dropped. "I can't believe this! The ears, the tails, the teeth. They are all so adorable! I only wish I had brought something to match with them." Syaoran could only stare in disbelief. "Maybe I should have thought about how Tomoyo would react a little more." Mia wagged her tail in discontent. "And how do you think we'll get back to normal?" Syaoran laughed. "Don't worry, you heard what that girl said. The potions are all temporary. In a few days, you'll be fine. Until then, you'll all just be my little pets!" Sakura gave a small hiss as a vein popped up on her hand. err. paw. "Well, I think we've all had a good laugh. Can we go now?"  
  
Kumiko frowned. "You're leaving? Already?" Syaoran nodded. "Yeah, we have a lot to do." The girls from the springs snuck up from behind and all hugged Syaoran at once. "Please don't go!" "We're going to miss you!" "You've been so nice!" "Not to mention you're the most handsome guy here." "No contest there!" Syaoran sighed angrily, but once he saw Sakura's angry cat face, he managed to calm down. "Sorry ladies, but we have no choice. Like Tomoyo said, we're on a long journey, and we can't waste any more time." He snickered. "Besides, I probably should get the kitties home for their nap!" Sakura and Mia gave him an evil glare.  
  
Hitoshi leaned over Kumiko's shoulder and gave her a kiss on the cheek. They both blushed. He asked, "Will we ever see you again?" Tomoyo shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe, maybe not, but we had fun, and we'll never forget you. Just keep hoping!" Kumiko smiled. "Alright, we'll hope. But we will meet again one day. I can just feel it." There was a moment of silence as Sakura, Syaoran, Mia, and Tomoyo stood up, grabbing their bags and walked off towards the horizon.  
  
Everyone from the village waved good-bye as the group set out. When they were out of sight, Kero popped out of Sakura's bag. He panted heavily. "I thought I was going to die! I couldn't breathe!" Kero-chan glanced up. "So, what did. I." He glanced at their ears. "WHT HAPPENED TO YOU GUYS?!" Sakura hissed quietly. "Syaoran turned us into cats." Kero rubbed his own head and tail. "Oh no! He did it to me too!" Sakura giggled. "Kero, you've always had big ears and a tail." He scratched his head and smiled. "Oh, yeah! I guess I forgot."  
  
Tomoyo put down her backpack and searched through it. Sakura asked, "Meow? What are you doing?" "Aha! Here they are." Tomoyo jumped up and pulled all of the girls together. "Hey! Watch it! What are you. no, don't do that!"  
  
When Tomoyo let go, all of the girls wore a small black leash with a bell on it around their necks. "What the.?" Mia asked. "Aren't they perfect? The match with our ears and tails!" A sweat drop rolled down everyone but Tomoyo and Kero's heads. Kero even asked, "Hey, what about me? Can I have one?" Tomoyo smiled. "You really want one? Hold on! I'll make one out of these left over materials. I'll just slip this bell onto here and. I'm done!" Kero gazed at his bell. "Wow! This is so cool!" "I'm glad you liked it." Syaoran sighed. "I'll never understand her."  
  
Sakura groaned. "Meow. can we just go already?" Syaoran nodded. "Maybe I'll see if I can use this potion as soon as I get back. I'd like to be my ten year old self again, soon." Mia hissed. "Wish I could go back to normal that fast." Sakura pulled out her key. "Key that hides the power of the Stars, reveal your true form to me! By our contract, I, Sakura, command you! RELEASE! Mia, in what time period is he?" Mia concentrated. "He's. returned to the present? That doesn't make any sense. but. Let's go!"  
  
"Time Card, return us to the present!" In a flash of blinding light, the travlers disappeared, a mission completed.  
  
To be continued. 


	11. Hostages

Sorry for having these chapters out so late: With all of FF.net's problems, I didn't realize we were able to update! Gomen ne.  
  
Chapter 11- Hostages  
  
Sakura, Syaoran, Mia, Tomoyo, and Kero all appeared in Sakura's backyard as if they had never left. Well, except that Syaoran was seven years older and the girls were now half-cat. Syaoran stretched his arms out. "That was rough. I think I'm ready for a long vacation." Mia concentrated her magic. "Well, we don't have time for that, meow. I can sense Koji. He's here. However, I have no idea where he is." Sakura yawned. "I want to get to bed. I'm so sleepy. we must have walked for an hour before we came back to this time. Wait a second, what if Touya or dad see me? What am I going to say?! I don't know what they'd do if they saw me! I've worn a cat suit before, but the cat parts were all fake!"  
  
Mia thought to aloud. "She has a good point. Darn. I don't know what we're going to do. We can't let people see us." Syaoran added, "Yeah, and what will people say if they see someone who's 17 claiming to be a 10-year-old boy? I could get in a lot of trouble." Tomoyo pouted. "But what can we do? If we don't go home, our families will worry."Syaoran got an idea. "Well, you could all come over to my apartment to sleep if you wanted to. There's no school tomorrow. We could wait out there." Mia shook her head. "Well, I'm not worried about myself, since I don't have a home here anyway, but Tomoyo and Sakura have families to go home to." Tomoyo nodded. "I was looking forward to seeing mother, since she is home, but I'd rather not worry her."  
  
Sakura snapped her fingers. "I know!" She pulled out a Clow Card. "MIRROR CARD! Create a copy of Tomoyo's and my normal forms!"  
  
In front of them materialized perfect mirror images of the two girls. "They look just like us and no one will suspect a thing." Sakura said, but Syaoran groaned. "How many times have you tried this trick now?" She sighed. "Well, it works. That's all that matters. Now what matters is getting some rest. Mirror Card, I need you to go to our homes and just rest until we get back." "Okay. I can do that. but is your brother here?" Sakura nodded. "Err. that may be a problem. I think he can almost sense there is something wrong. but then again, if you'll only be gone a little while, I'll be fine." The Mirror Card walked towards their homes in complete silence, making sure not to make a sound.  
  
Syaoran silently walked to Sakura's front yard and looked around. He waved his arm, signaling it was okay to move. The walked down the side of the street in almost pure darkness. Only the occasional streetlight made it possible to see where they were headed. The girls held the bells around their necks so they wouldn't make a sound.  
  
Suddenly, Syaoran felt a surge of magic in the air. "What the hell is this? It feels like Koji is hovering around us. Where is he?" The streetlights all went out simultaneously. Syaoran grabbed his pendant and was about to summon it when he heard a loud rumbling. Syaoran jumped into the way of whatever it was, ready to face it. "MEOW! WATCH OUT, SYAORAN!" Sakura screamed as she leaped through the air and knocked Syaoran to the ground.  
  
The streetlights all were turned on once again and a hulking semi-truck drove past where Sakura had tackled him. Mia and Tomoyo ran across the road screaming yelling, "Are you two alright?" Syaoran gasped. "You. you saved my life. again. How did you see the truck coming? I couldn't see anything." Sakura scratched her head. "Why couldn't you? I could see everything perfectly fine. I saw the truck coming from far away. Didn't you?" Syaoran shook his head. "I couldn't see anything! All of the lights were out! It was the strangest thing. No headlights, no streetlights, and even the lights in the houses all went out at once. How could you see the truck?"  
  
Mia laughed out loud. "You know, Syaoran, it's easy to see you're not that great at finding revenge. Apparently, this potion has some benefits, too. For example, like cats, it's very easy for us to see in the dark. I noticed we don't see colors that well, but it's as clear as day to us now." Syaoran sighed. "Then again, if I hadn't changed you, I'd be dead right now." Sakura hugged him tight and he blushed. "I'm just glad you're okay, even if it means we have to be cats."  
  
Tomoyo approached and saw them in their hugging position. She whispered, "Sakura, you're so lovely." Syaoran had his face still red as Sakura continued to hold him tight. "Ah, I think we'd better move before someone spots us. Or worse, the power may go out again. I have the feeling Koji was behind that cowardly move." Sakura and he left their embrace and stood up. Mia said, "Don't worry. We'll be your guides in the dark, just like Seeing Eye dogs. err. cats."  
  
**  
  
"Son of a bitch. The bastard didn't get hit by the truck," Koji cussed. "Well, at least I know my newest artifact works: The Lightning Wand. With this, I can absorb any amount of electricity from anywhere! And since I was just able to suck all the electricity out of one entire town for a brief while, I think I have sufficient power to take those brats on."  
  
**  
  
Syaoran opened the door to his place and turned on the lights. It looked as if he hadn't been gone more than an hour or so. Then again, in their original time, he hadn't been gone that long. "Let's see," Syaoran mumbled aloud. "Where can we all sleep. Well, there is my bed, but it's only big enough for one person, there's the couch, I have a sleeping bag that can go on the floor in my room, and. and." Mia asked, "And what?" Syaoran sighed. "I don't think I have anything or anyplace where the fourth person can sleep. There was Meilin's bed, but she took it with her when she moved out."  
  
"HOEEE! So you mean one of us will have to sleep on the floor or something?" Syaoran nodded. "Yeah, it will be uncomfortable, but I guess so." Tomoyo said, "Well, I won't let Sakura sleep on the floor. I will." Mia shook her head. "No, let's be fair. Let's draw cards. Whoever has the highest card, with an ace being the highest, gets the bed. Second highest gets the couch. Third highest gets the sleeping bag. And we know what fourth gets. Ah, there is a deck right here."  
  
Mia placed the deck face down on the deck and they all drew one card at random. "Okay," Mia said, "who has what? I have. a seven of clubs." Tomoyo turned hers around. "I have a ten of spades." Syaoran sighed. "I. got a two of hearts." Sakura yelled out, "HOEEEE! I guess I get the floor." Mia raised one eyebrow. "What? How is that possible?" Sakura turned her card towards them. "I have a one of hearts." Mia giggled. "Sakura, have you ever played cards much before?" Sakura shook her head. "I thought so. That's an ace! That is the highest card in value! You get the bed! I get the sleeping bag. Tomoyo gets that couch." Syaoran sighed again. "And even though it's my place, I'll sleep on the floor."  
  
Sakura's face saddened. "Well, if you have to, that makes me feel kinda guilty. I don't want you to have to." Syaoran shook his head. "Don't worry about me. I would feel better, anyway, if I had that potion ready to drink. I really want to get back to normal." Sakura wagged her tail, thinking. It suddenly straightened out in a flash when she got an idea. "I know! Meow! Give me that potion." Syaoran put the bag down he was carrying and pulled out the bottle of 'Healthy Strong Boy #10.' "Just watch." She summoned her staff. "I've never tried this before, but maybe the Time Card can help. "TIME CARD! AGE THIS POTION BY A DAY!" A blinding light surrounded the concoction and then disappeared as fast as it appeared.  
  
Syaoran held the potion. "It doesn't look any different. but I'll try it." He uncorked the bottle and had a small sip. Suddenly, he started to gag like he did when he drank the other potions. "Excuse me." He ran to his room and slammed the door. After a minute, he emerged, back in his old ten- year-old body. He was dressed in green-striped, buttoned pajamas.  
  
"Finally. back to normal. I'm the same age I used to be before I left, I'm a boy, my hair's not down to my waist." Sakura grumbled. "I wish I could say the same thing." Tomoyo grinned. "Don't worry, Sakura!" She held up a video camera and began to record. "I managed to quickly pick this up while you walked here. Now I won't miss a moment of you as a kitten!" Everyone except Tomoyo fell to the ground in embarrassment.  
  
"ANYWAY." Syaoran said impatiently, "nearly getting hit by a truck has taken it out of me. I've had enough excitement for one week. I just want to get some rest." Mia nodded her head. "Yeah. meow. I can barely keep my eyes open. I think I'll go find that sleeping bag." Tomoyo set her camera down before grabbing a blanket and lying down on the couch. "Good night, Sakura- chan, Syaoran-kun, Mia-chan. See you in the morning." "Goodnight." Mia replied.  
  
Kero flew off silently to a nearby desk, opened it up, put down a few cotton balls to make a bed, and fell asleep.  
  
Syaoran grabbed a blanket from the hall closet while Sakura got into Syaoran's bed in his room. Syaoran lay on the floor next to the couch, when Sakura came out and whispered, "Syaoran! Are you asleep?" He sat up and shook his head. "No, I haven't had the chance." "Good. I was just wondering. it's too hot. Do you have any cooler pajamas I can wear?" He nodded. "I have some in there somewhere."  
  
Syaoran walked into his bedroom and opened a drawer. "Here it is." He handed her a long green shirt. "I'll wait outside while you change. Tell me if it fits."  
  
A few minutes later, Sakura stepped out. The shirt went down to her knees. Her cute, little tail protruded out of the bottom of her shirt and waved in the air. "Arigotou, Syaoran. I feel a lot better." Syaoran nodded. "Well. then I guess. umm. I guess I'll just go to sleep. Sweet dreams, Sakura."  
  
Sakura turned a deep shade of red, though it wasn't visible in the dark. "Well, ummm. you know, you're probably not that comfortable on the floor. you could sleep in here with me if you like. I mean, that's if you want to." Syaoran blushed as well. "Ummm. well, I bet it is cooler in there since I left the windows in there open before we left. so, I guess I could."  
  
Syaoran set his blanket down on the floor in his room and got under it. Sakura got on all fours on Syaoran's bed. She began to knead and claw at it. A sweat drop rolled down Syaoran's head as he looked on. "Umm. Sakura, what are you doing?" She stopped in place, and a sweat drop rolled down her head too. "Hoeee. I guess that I got a few cat instincts, too, and not just the tail and ears." Syaoran laughed. "Heh. I guess so. Then again, I guess it was kinda mean of me to make you all cats." Sakura shook her head. "No, it's not that bad. It's actually kind of cool. And remember, if you hadn't, you could have been hit by that truck." "I almost forgot about that." "And I guess it was kind of mean of us to laugh so much at you when you were a girl. You really didn't want to be a girl, but you had to be." Syaoran chuckled. "It's okay. I guess it is kinda funny when I think about it. And I was one before. Remember, we did switch places in the jail cell when we battled Sadin. It's not that bad. If Koji weren't so perverted, I might not have minded at all."  
  
Sakura slid under the sheets. "Well, I'm glad we got that all cleared up. I guess we all make a good team. I think we may actually get through all of Koji's demented plans to revive Sadin." Syaoran smiled gently. "Yeah, I think so too. Ummm. well, I guess I'll see you in the morning, Sakura. Sleep well." "Yeah, you too, Syaoran."  
  
About a half an hour passed. Sakura rolled over. "Syaoran, are you awake, too?" He rolled over and nodded. "Yeah. Can you sense it, too? I didn't want to wake you if you didn't." Sakura nodded. "I sense it. a deep and brooding evil. Koji is nearby. I can just feel it. He's plotting and waiting." Syaoran sighed. "I can feel the same thing. He's persistent, I'll give him that."  
  
Sakura began to tremble. "The feeling is getting stronger! It feels like Koji is nearby! It feels like he's right outside!" She grabbed all of her Sakura and Clow Cards, holding them close to her chest. Seeing the newly transformed cards from their adventure gave her confidence.  
  
Syaoran stood up and looked out the window. "It feels like that, too. but it has to be just a trick. This feeling is different than when we are face to face with him. It's just a trick." Sakura nodded. "I can tell that. but I'm scared. I'm just such a scaredy cat." Syaoran shook his head. "That's not true! A coward wouldn't have been able to collect all of the Clow Cards AND pass the Final Judgment. You're anything BUT a scaredy cat." Sakura blushed. "I. ummm. I'm just nervous." Syaoran sat on the bed next to her and wrapped an arm around her. "I'm nervous, too, but it'll be okay."  
  
Sakura gave a faint smile. The only light was that of the moon through an open window. It illuminated their faces in the darkness. Sakura began to rub her head up and down Syaoran's arm and purr. His face turned red and he jumped back in shock. "What are you doing?!" Sakura immediately stopped and blushed as well. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" She laughed nervously. "Cat instincts again. I can't control them." Syaoran smiled. "So, I guess you'd like THIS!" He began to scratch her behind her large ears and she purred. "That feels so heavenly. Maybe this isn't so bad." She yawned. She slowly lay down, Syaoran still petting her. Syaoran yawned as well. His eyes began to become heavy. Before he knew what happened, he had fallen asleep.  
  
**  
  
Syaoran felt an itch on his nose and scratched it subconsciously. Moments later, it itched again. He scratched, but it came back. He slowly opened his eyes to find. a tail in his face. and his arms wrapped around Sakura. He slowly and quietly backed away. But.  
  
"Hey, where's Syaoran?" "I don't see him. Any sign of him over there, Mia?" "No, let me go ask Sakura, if she's up." The door was flung open and Mia stepped in. "Hey, Sakura, have you. seen." A sweat drop rolled down both Syaoran and Mia's faces. Mia started to giggle as Syaoran tried to shush her. "Shhh! Quiet! Sakura's asleep!" "Heh. I can see that! Tomoyo, get your camera!" Tomoyo rushed into the room in a blink of an eye. She ran so fast the force of her acted like a gust of wind, blowing everything aside. "A kawaii Sakura moment?!" As soon as she saw the scene, her eyes shrunk. "Uhh.. What's going on.?"  
  
Syaoran let go of Sakura and slowly stood up. "Nothing happened! I was just sitting next to Sakura and fell asleep, okay?" Mia grabbed Tomoyo's camcorder. "Well, I'd believe that, but would Sakura when she sees this?" Syaoran began to sweat. "You wouldn't." Mia gave an evil cat-like grin. "Meow. Oh, I wouldn't?"  
  
".Okay, what do I have to do?" Mia replied slyly, "Oh, nothing. yet. Just remember, next time I need to ask you a favor you HAVE to do it." Syaoran sighed. "Okay, okay. I'll do it. I just can't believe I'm blackmailed again. Just like back at the mage village." Tomoyo asked, "Mage village? You mean against Sadin? What happened?" Syaoran gasped and laughed timidly. "Uh, nothing! I didn't say anything! Um, I think I'll go shower! See you!" Syaoran ran out the door and slammed the door to the bathroom before anyone could say otherwise. Mia laughed at his apparent fear and Tomoyo just smiled. However, Tomoyo didn't remember overhearing Syaoran's speech back at the mage village, whispering aloud of his feelings towards Sakura.  
  
When Syaoran emerged from the showers and was dressed, he saw Sakura wake up as he entered his room. "Good morning, Sakura." She yawned. "Hoe? Syaoran? What are you doing in my room? And. HOEEEEEE!" Sakura fell out of the bed and everyone came running. "What's wrong, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked hastily. "I'M A KITTEN!"  
  
Everyone crashed to the floor. "Well, of course you are!" Mia scolded. "Don't you remember yesterday?" Sakura just blinked for a second. "Yesterday? What. Oh! Now I remember!" A sweat drop rolled down her head. "I guess I'm just not used to waking up with this tail in my face," she said as she twisted and rubbed her tail in her hands.  
  
Mia rolled her eyes. "How can ANYONE forget something like that even for an instant?" Kero laughed. "Oh? I could'a sworn you did something similar this morning, but I covered your mouth before you could yell! At first you thought you were under attack! Does this sound familiar? 'Help! Help! A lion or something!'" A vein popped on Mia's face. "I thought I told you never to mention that!" "Yeah, well, that's what you get for calling me a stuffed animal!" "Why you little." She began to chase Kero-chan throughout the house.  
  
Tomoyo giggled. "Those two always make me laugh. Anyway, I think I'll go cook some breakfast. It's almost 9 o'clock. La la la la." Tomoyo went skipping off merrily down the hall, singing to herself.  
  
Sakura stood up and rubbed her eyes. "Well, I guess I'll go wash up. HOEEE! I almost forgot! I threw my clothes from yesterday in the dirty laundry basket and I don't have a change of clothes!" Her eyes shrunk. "I don't think I can go to my house in broad daylight wearing just a shirt of yours." Syaoran's face turned red. "Ummm. well, why don't you just borrow some clothes from Tomoyo?" Sakura sighed. "Well, I would, but I got a look at her new dress she made for me. I've known her long enough to know she would only let me wear that. It's very pretty but. I don't think I'll wear it in public in broad daylight. And Mia would probably tell Tomoyo if I asked to borrow from her." Syaoran nodded in agreement. "I see. Ummm. well. you could borrow some of my clothes."  
  
Sakura's face turned even redder. "What?! Me?! Wear guy's clothes?! I'm sorry, but no one in their right mind would wear clothes of the opposite sex." Syaoran glared at her. "AHEM! Did you also forget what I had to do for the last week or so?" A sweat drop rolled down her head. "Umm. well, that was different! You actually WERE a girl, remember?" "Oh yes, I remember it quite well. I don't think I'll forget it anytime soon." "Fine, I'll wear it. Now go and wait while I shower."  
  
About 10 minutes later, Sakura stepped into Syaoran's kitchen, clad in a long brown shirt, a baggy pair of jeans, and a backwards, green baseball cap. Syaoran nearly choked when he saw her. "Sakura! Where are. umm. you're not a cat anymore?! I don't see the ears or tail!" Sakura lifted up her hat and the cat ears popped out from under a mess of hair and her tail poked out of the collar of her shirt. "No, I'm still a kitty, but I found a good way to hide it while I sneak over to my house to grab a few things."  
  
Syaoran slammed his fist down on the table. "I won't hear of it! If you're going, I am, too. Koji could be around! We have to stick together." Mia nodded. "I agree. This is dangerous. We're coming along." Tomoyo nodded as well. "There's no way Kero and I will be left behind! We're coming, too! Plus, I finished a new outfit I have to film you in!" Sakura laughed uneasily. "Oh? I hadn't noticed. Well, let's go after breakfast."  
  
Around ten minutes later, they all left Syaoran's place and headed towards Sakura's house. All of the girls wore hats to cover their ears and hid their tails in their shirts to avoid any unwanted attention. But something caught their eye when they were about halfway there. At an intersection, near where they were when the lights went out the night before, there were the remains of an accident. A semi-truck had collided with a lamppost. Police officers and emergency workers were cleaning up the wreckage. The group's curiosity got the best of them and they approached. "Excuse me, officer," Mia asked, "what happened here?"  
  
An officer turned around. "It's the weirdest thing. Last night between midnight and one, we got reports of a blackout. But it wasn't just streetlamps and homes, but even the headlights of cars went out. This guy was driving along when it happened. Apparently, some teenager was walking by at the same time, couldn't see, and walked into the road. The poor kid would have been dead if a friend of him or her hadn't moved him out of the way, if what the driver could make out is true. The lights went back on momentarily, but the driver was so scared and worried about the kid that he lost control and he hit this pole. Don't worry. He's fine, just a little shaken up. Now, you kids hurry along. There's some broken glass on the ground and we don't want you stepping in it." They all nodded and walked back onto the sidewalk and towards Sakura's house.  
  
When they arrived, Syaoran and Mia waited outside. Kero flew up to Sakura's room via an open window and Sakura and Tomoyo entered through the front door. "Now, Tomoyo, be extra quiet. The Mirror Card is still up here as a distraction. I just need you to act as a diversion for Touya while I grab everything I need. Okay?" Sakura whispered softly. Tomoyo nodded silently. "Okay, now let's go!"  
  
Tomoyo walked into the kitchen while Sakura walked up the stairs. "Daidouji? What are you doing here?" "Konnichiwa, Touya-san. I came here to wait for Sakura." "Wait for her? For what?" "She was over at my house for a party and she needed to pick up. a change of clothes. Someone knocked her in the pool by mistake. Li-kun loaned her some of his clothes for the time being." "What are you talking about? Sakura was just upstairs in her room a minute ago." "No, she left quite a while ago. You must not have seen her leave."  
  
Sakura stopped listening and moved to her room silently. First, she called back the Mirror Card, who was sitting at her desk. She grabbed her backpack and threw in as many outfits as she could. She grabbed her cell phone and Kero's as well. She finished packing when she noticed Kero trying to lift a large bag at least ten times his own size. "Kero, what the heck is that?!" The Guardian Beast strained his muscles as he carried it out a window. "ARGH! What else? My video games! I only packed the essentials!" Sakura fell face first onto the floor.  
  
Sakura slowly made her way out of her room with her backpack full of supplies she would need over the next day or so. She slipped silently down the stairs. until. "HOEEEEE!" She lost her balance, tumbled down, and landed on the kitchen floor.  
  
"Ow." A hand extended to help her up. "Ouch. thanks, Tom-GASP! YUKITO-SAN!" Sakura's entire face reddened. "Yukito! Umm.. uhh. Arigotou! I didn't know you were here!" "Never mind that, are you okay?" "Err. oh, yeah, I'm fine." Touya laughed. Don't worry. The monster's too heavy. I'd be more worried about the floor." Sakura jumped up and gave Touya a well-placed kick to the face. "I'M NOT HEAVY!" Yukito smiled. "Just ignore him. I'm glad you're alright. Now, you go have fun at that party." Touya sat up and rubbed his face. "Grrr. Fine. You can go. But since today you are supposed to clean up, you'll do ALL of the chores this weekend!" Sakura sighed. She really didn't want to do all the chores, but what choice did she have?  
  
"Ok, I'll do them all next weekend." Yukito smiled, causing Sakura to practically melt into a puddle of the spot. "Just have a fun time. I'm sure it will be well worth it. Now, you're brother and I are headed towards the café. See you later!"  
  
Sakura bowed. "Ar-arigotou, Yukito-san." However, Sakura's cap fell off her head when she bowed. Touya and Yukito's eyes widened. "S-S-Sakura, what the hell is that?!" Touya blurted out as he pointed to her head. "What's wrong with my." Sakura rubbed her head, feeling her cat ears. She began to sweat. She had been caught. What could she do? She could only try to lie, but she wasn't as good and natural at it as Tomoyo was. "Err. It's. for Tomoyo's party! It's a costume party!" She pulled out her tail. "See? It's fake." Yukito scratched his head. "A costume party? You were going swimming at a costume party?" Tomoyo shook her head. "No, we weren't going swimming, we were just outside by the pool when someone ran by and knocked her in." Touya nodded. "I see. But that tail doesn't look fake to me. It's moving on its own!" "Ummm. It's battery-powered?" "Let me take a look at it." The hair on Sakura's body stood on end. "Umm. no! We really have to go! We're going to be late!" Touya stepped closer still. "I have a job later, and some of the employees wear that as part of the uniform. I just wanna see what it's like." "No! Wait! I-"  
  
Touya grabbed onto the swaying tail and felt it. "Huh? It even feels real." Yukito answered, "It really looks good, like a professional did it. Must have been very expensive. You know, it's very cute! Maybe I could try it on and wear it for a special occasion! What do you think?" Touya sighed. "You really would do that? Well, here. Let me borrow this for a second." "NO! WAIT! DON'T! MEOW!" Touya gave her tail a giant tug and the pain shot up Sakura's back. "OW!" Touya looked confused. "What the hell?" He continued to pull on it harder and harder. Tears started to form in Sakura's eyes, but she couldn't let them know it hurt. "Ow. err. I think we really have to hurry back to the party! Ow!" Touya continued to pull. "This will only take a second. What the hell did you do? Super glue it to your back?!" She finally couldn't take it anymore and she ripped her tail out of her brother's hands. "We really have to go! Bye!" And with that, the two cat- girls ran for the door as fast as they could.  
  
Once outside, Mia, Syaoran, and Kero approached. Tomoyo commented, "I'm impressed, Sakura! Anyone I know would have been in total pain if that happened!" Suddenly, Sakura broke out in tears and screamed as she rubbed her butt with her hands. "OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! I won't sit down for a week!" A sweat drop rolled down everyone's heads. Mia asked, "What happened?" Tomoyo laughed nervously. "Touya thought Sakura's tail was just a costume and Yukito-san wanted to see it, so he tried to umm. remove it." Mia, Syaoran, and Kero winced thinking about the pain. "Well, at least you got your clothes, right?" Syaoran asked. Sakura nodded as she showed him the bag of clothes. "My school uniform, pajamas, a swimsuit, a few days' worth of normal outfits, everything I think I'll need. We have no idea how long this may last, so I want to be prepared." Kero nodded. "That's smart thinking."  
  
Mia sighed. "If Syaoran had had a little patience and waited for his potion to wear out, we might have had a good idea how long." Syaoran's eyes became shaped like those of a cat and he growled. "Hey, that was the second time in my life I was a girl. I don't need to be one again. I've had enough swapping of genders for one lifetime. Unless you girls want to." "WE GET THE POINT!" Mia interrupted.  
  
Kero pointed something out. "Umm, Sakura? If you really wanted to change, why didn't you just change up in your room?" "I would have but. but. I guess I forgot!" Everyone sighed. "Well, let's go back to Syaoran's place then. I guess we'll just wait out there for a few days or until these potions wear off, whichever comes first." Mia proposed. Everyone agreed with the plan.  
  
Their trip back to Syaoran's place was pretty uneventful until they passed by the entrance to the park. As soon as they did, Naoko approached. Kero dived deeper into Tomoyo's hair to remain unseen. (He had given Mia his bag of videogame equipment.) "Sakura! I'm so glad to see you!" Sakura looked her in the eyes. "Hello, Naoko. What's going on?" She smiled. "I was going to play badminton today with Rika against Yamazaki and Chiharu, but she said something about having to visit Tereda-sensei. Would you like to be my partner? I remember you and Syaoran had that one match. It was very impressive, so I thought I'd look for you!" Sakura recalled back to her infamous match against Syaoran. Yukito had arrived and they played with a ferocious determination to win, hoping to impress Yukito.  
  
"Ummm.. what do you guys think? Do I have time?" Mia nodded. "Go ahead." Syaoran agreed. "I don't think we have anything better to do in the meantime." Tomoyo simply took out her camcorder and whispered to herself, "This is the perfect opportunity to get some kawaii footage!"  
  
The birdie floated gently down before Sakura's racket smashed it over the net, too fast for Chiharu to stop it. "That's game!" Mia cried out, acting as the referee. Chiharu leaned on the net. "I'm exhausted! No wonder you wanted Sakura as your partner, Naoko, she's great!" Sakura began to blush in modesty. "Thank you, Chiharu. Want to play again?" Chiharu collapsed on a bench next to Tomoyo, who was still anxiously taping. "No thanks. Someone else can, but I'm beat." Yamazaki replied, "Well, I'm still in." Naoko did the same. "Me, too." Syaoran stood up. "I guess I'll play. If Naoko is still on your team, I'm with Yamazaki." Everyone agreed.  
  
The game was evenly matched. No one was going to be a clear victor. But it seemed like Naoko and Yamazaki weren't even needed, since Sakura and Syaoran got most of the volleys. Tomoyo was really awed. "Such ferocity! Only Sakura can play this well!"  
  
Finally, it was down to the wire. If Sakura's team could get the next volley, they would win. If not, it would be a tiebreaker. The birdie flew high into the air when Sakura hit it at a bad angle and it was set up perfectly to Syaoran. He leapt into the air, and smashed the birdie right back. Sakura dove for it, but she missed, and it knocked her hat off. Kero poked his head out slightly of Tomoyo's hair. "Oh no, not again!" Everyone stared. Naoko asked, "Sakura, are those cat ears on the top of your head?" She nodded. "They're ummm." "For national Cat Costume Day!" Yamazaki stated, raising one finger in the air. "National what?" Mia asked.  
  
"National Cat Costume Day. Back in ancient Egypt, there was once a pharaoh named Cat. He was a great leader, and when he died, everyone still respected him so much that they named an animal after him, which is why Egyptians worshipped cats. But one of Cat's favorite hobbies was to dress up in costumes. Thus, people combined those two together and came up with a holiday where everyone dressed up as a cat in order to get good luck from the late pharaoh. Next, they wanted to build him a pyramid, but there was no more room in Egypt, so they decided to build it here in Japan where there was plenty of room at the time. Once it was built, people went around and spread that holiday to everyone in Japan, in honor of their leader. However, there was an earthquake, which knock down the pyramid, leaving only the support structure, which was renamed the Tokyo Tower. That's how Cat Costume Day came to be."  
  
Syaoran thought aloud, "Wow. I never knew that." Naoko imagined in her mind the earthquake that transformed the pyramid into Tokyo Tower. Tomoyo saw through the lie and just rolled her eyes. Sakura turned to Chiharu and asked, "Is. Is that true?" A vein popped on both Mia and Chiharu's faces. "Sakura, you can actually think that has a possibility of being true?" "Grrr. WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT LYING?!" Chiharu grabbed Yamazaki by the ear and began to drag him off.  
  
Naoko waved farewell. "I guess the game's over. I need to go home and study for the big test we have after vacation ends. Sayonara!"  
  
Tomoyo put away her camera and picked up everything she was carrying. "I'm ready to go. Are all of you set to go?" Sakura, Syaoran, and Mia didn't reply. They merely stood in place, staring into nothingness. "Sakura? Mia? Li-kun?" "He's. here." Mia said aloud. "Who?" Tomoyo asked. "Koji. he's somewhere around here. I can feel it. Everyone, be alert." Syaoran ordered. He took out his pendant and summoned his sword, preparing for whatever may happen. Sakura released the Staff, putting the Clow and Sakura Cards by her side.  
  
For a moment, all was still. There was no wind, no nearby traffic, no one talking, just pure silence. Tension was rising as they could all sense him coming closer.  
  
Snap.  
  
The sound of a small twig being stepped on was heard, and everyone immediately turned to the noise, but there was nothing there.  
  
Click, click.  
  
They all knew that sound all of too well. "O, card  
  
that Clow has made, I command you to lose your form and be born again under  
  
your new master, Sakura! SHIELD!" Gunfire was heard, but the bullets were reflected off the shield and hit the ground. Before anyone could tell what was going on, Syaoran leapt backwards and sliced with his sword. Koji's guns were damaged and flung from his hands.  
  
Koji jumped backwards. "You bastard! Well, it matters not. I know you can't win." He dropped his ruined weapons. "I'm just sorry my blackout didn't get you killed like originally planned." Mia gasped. "That was you! I knew it!"  
  
Syaoran shouted, "Sakura, get him now! He can't fight back!" But Sakura was already ahead of him and had a card in the air. "O, card that Clow has made, I command you to lose your form and be born again under your new master, Sakura! THUNDER!" The card glowed, turning from a bright orange to a light pink Sakura Card. A dog of pure electricity appeared in front of Sakura and jolted out a wave of electricity towards Koji. But the wicked warrior merely smiled. The electricity stopped just before him, almost as if he had been using a shield. Everyone stood, stunned. "But that's impossible! Thunder is just standing there!" Tomoyo exclaimed.  
  
Koji reached into his jacket and pulled out a wand. Thunder's power was totally absorbed into it. Mia looked utterly shocked. "That wand just sucked up Sakura's attack!" Koji held his weapon up high. "Allow me to introduce you to the Lightning Wand. With this, I can absorb electricity in any form. Plus, I can absorb it from specific places only. For example. I could absorb the power of an entire town, except for a single truck, which I could merely switch the headlights off. You know, in case an enemy of mine were in the way!" Syaoran growled, grabbing a charm from his pocket. "You think that's funny?! FIRE!" Koji pointed the wand, sending a shockwave of electricity, pushing back Syaoran's fire, and shocking everyone else.  
  
The pain was excruciating. When they could bear it no more, everyone collapsed. Syaoran could barely lift his head to see Koji step over Sakura. He was ready to haul her away. However, she rolled over onto her back and scratched Koji across the face. While he was distracted, Sakura got to her feet and ran. But Koji wasn't down long and gave chase. Sakura's tail popped out of her jeans, and Koji grabbed it, dragging her to the ground and then knocked her out.  
  
"No! Leave her alone!" Syaoran tried to cry out, but he was too weak. Koji then noticed Tomoyo had one as well. "How convenient! My hostages come with handles!" He dragged the out-cold girls and opened a time portal. With one awesome feat of strength, he hurled both girls into the portal and then jumped through himself. The portal closed.  
  
Syaoran couldn't believe what he saw. but his head throbbed. His eyes closed and he collapsed on the hard dirt.  
  
See you, space cowboys. 


	12. The Meeting at Midnight

Chapter 12- The Meeting at Midnight  
  
"It's my fault. It's. It's all my fault." Syaoran groaned in his sleep. "They're gone." "Syaoran, wake up!" "Huh? Ooh. My head." He sat up and opened his eyes. The young boy saw that he was back in his room, sitting on his bed. "Mia? Wait, where's Sakura? And Tomoyo? What happened to them?" Mia sat in silence, unable to bear looking him in the eyes.  
  
".They're gone, aren't they?" Mia nodded, still facing away from him. ".It's my fault." Mia shook her head, "No, it's not. It couldn't-" "No, it IS my fault! I saw it with my own eyes! He dragged them off by their tails. the tails I gave them." Mia shook her head violently. "Don't say that! If you didn't give them cat abilities, you'd be dead, under some truck tire." "That would have been fine with me if Sakura were safe." "No! Don't talk like that! Sakura wouldn't be able to go on without you. Plus, it is possible that they aren't gone, but merely in a different time period."  
  
Syaoran turned his head away. "But even if they're alive, they might as well be gone." "What do you mean?" "I mean that we have no idea what time period they're in, and even if we did, how can we return to the past? Sakura has the Time Card, and Koji won't return to the present." It finally hit Mia. "You. You're right. We can't return to the past. but. don't give up hope! Sakura's there. Tomoyo, too. They might be able to stop whatever Koji's doing."  
  
Syaoran stood up. "Syaoran, where are you going?" "Out. I just need time to think." He passed by Kero, who was sleeping on the kitchen table, on the way out. He grabbed a coat and stepped outside.  
  
He didn't know where to go. It didn't matter, either. His mind needed to be cleared. He just walked down the street with nowhere to go.  
  
After walking a few blocks, the clever boy had an idea. Syaoran returned to his house and crept in silently. He made sure not to alert Mia or wake Kero. He walked to the table on which Kero slept and quickly stuffed something in his bag. He raced for the door and was gone almost as soon as he came.  
  
The lights in the audio-visual room of the school turned on. Syaoran reached into his bag and pulled out Tomoyo's video camera. "How does Tomoyo work this thing? Let's see. press rewind. I think I use this cable to hook this up to this. I turn the TV on to the correct station."  
  
He went about adjusting the camera and TV, hooking them together. "I hope this works." Syaoran turned the TV to the right channel and pressed play on the camera. On the screen, images of Sakura's previous battles were shown. Syaoran gazed on and blushed. He watched it again and again. The love- struck boy could only think of how much her skills had improved in such a short time since they had met. He saw her determined face, facing down the challenges someone was sending against her. She seemed very confident.  
  
He stared down at his watch? "Huh? 5 o'clock? Have I really been here that long?" His stomach roared. "Maybe I'll go someplace to eat."  
  
He took his seat at the buffet when someone called out to him. "Li-kun!" "Huh? Takashi? What are you doing here?" Yamazaki sat down at his table. "Have you seen Kinomoto or Daidouji today?" Syaoran's heart sank into his stomach. "Umm. n-no. I haven't." Yamazaki scratched his chin. "That's strange. I've been looking for them all day. Chiharu wants me to give Kinomoto a message. But I haven't been able to find her all day. I looked everywhere, called her home, and there was no sign of her. I wanted to ask Daidouji where she was, but she was gone as well. It's as if they both just disappeared." Syaoran had to think of an excuse. "Err. I think maybe this was the day they were taking. uhh. a trip out to the country." Yamazaki smiled. "No, I don't think so, I think they just vanished. There's actually a story behind that. You see, a few hundred years ago, in India, there was a man named Vanishto, who was-" "I'm sorry, but I have to run. Sayonara." Syaoran bolted for the door.  
  
Once he was back on the street, Syaoran was able to take a breather. But it he could not rest for long. Scenes of Sakura and Tomoyo being dragged through the portal plagued his mind still. The guilt was getting to him. He hated himself for not doing anything to save them. He decided to take a few more walks around the area to help clear his mind, but to no avail. The more he walked, the greater his guilt became. "Why didn't I say anything? Why didn't I attack? It's all my fault."  
  
"Feeling pretty guilty, aren't you, Li?" A voice cried out ahead of him.  
  
"Who's there?" Syaoran asked, moving into a martial arts' stance. "Just an ally." In front of Syaoran, lying on a small brick fence appeared a black panther-like creature. "Your friends, Kinomoto and Daidouji. They are not lost."  
  
He took a few steps backwards. "Wait, you're that panther that always appears when we're in trouble." "Grrr. That's very observant of you, but that's not the point. The point is, we know you want to save your friends, and we know how you can do that." Syaoran dropped his stance. "Wait, who are 'we' and what can you do?" "Just meet us at the entrance to the Shinto Park at midnight. Bring no one. Tell no one of what you saw tonight." Syaoran growled. "Why should I trust you?" The mysterious feline grinned. "You don't have a choice if you want to rescue your friends, do you? I'll see you at midnight."  
  
In a flash of light, the beast was gone.  
  
Should he have listened to the beast? Syaoran didn't know, but what choice did he have? He had to save Sakura and Tomoyo, lest his conscience destroy his mind forever.  
  
He hurried home. When he entered his house, he found Kero avidly playing "Virtual Brawler Treken 4." Kero began to scream out loud. "Ha! Take this! The KERO-CHAN SUPER SPECIAL COMBO!" "How can you be playing games at a time like this?" Kero paused and turned around. "Huh? The gaki? Hey, I'm just as worried as you. This just helps me calm my nerves."  
  
"Where have you been all day?" Mia asked, coming from the kitchen. "I thought you said you were just taking a walk. No walk lasts all day." Syaoran shook his head. "I'm sorry. I had a lot on my mind. It took all day to finally calm down. I think I'll be okay now." Mia went from angry to sad. "I'm sorry I got angry at you. We've all been stressed. Whatever time period Sakura and Tomoyo are in is still a mystery. I'm sure they can take care of themselves. But I don't want to leave them alone."  
  
Syaoran recalled what Spinnel had told him. "I'm sure they'll be fine. We should all just get some sleep." She nodded in agreement. "I suppose you're right. Maybe I'll have a plan in the morning. Good night, Syaoran."  
  
Beep! Beep! Beep!  
  
Syaoran's alarm woke him at 11pm. He quickly shut it off before it woke Mia. He grabbed his bag of supplies and made his way outside before anyone could be awoken.  
  
About 5 minutes later, he was outside the Shinto Park gates. Spinnel sat on top of the gates. "Well, you're early. That's good."  
  
"I'm here. Now, how can I help my friends? I'll do anything to help them."  
  
A dark silhouette of a small boy appeared on top of the gate and a golden staff glowed in the moonlight. "Well, we can send you back to the time Koji is in. Let's just say that while we may never be friends, as of right now, we have a common enemy." Syaoran's eyes lit up. "You can really send me into the past? And you know what time period Koji is in?" "Yes. But there's a catch: It's one-way. If you don't succeed and you can't rescue your friends, then you'll be stuck in the past. It's a very powerful spell I need to cast. I can't do it again for anyone other than ourselves. I also can't use it to move anyone from the past."  
  
Syaoran needed to think. "That's a problem but." He began to blush. "I don't think I can stay in the present if there's no Sakura. I'll do it!"  
  
Eriol's staff glimmered in the light. "Very well. Good luck. You'll need it." Eriol waved his staff, creating a time portal behind Syaoran. Syaoran gulped, and leapt into it, vanishing.  
  
Love and Peace! 


	13. Remembrances of Nadeshiko

I'm sorry I couldn't get this chapter out sooner or have it longer, but I'm leaving for yet another week long and computerless vacation. My grammar and plot checker is also gone on vacation, so I couldn't have it checked over. I'm sorry. But I wanted to have another chapter out before I left. Once again, I'm sorry.  
  
Chapter 13- Remembrances of Nadeshiko  
  
Syaoran came crashing don from the open portal and landed on his face. "OW! I'll never get used to all of this time traveling." He stood up and brushed the dirt off his shirt. When he looked up, though, he was shocked. "What the hell? I didn't go anywhere! I'm still in the present and in front of the Shinto Shrine!"  
  
The boy was right. He stood in the exact same spot he had before he left. "What could this mean? Maybe I can't get back to the time Sakura and Tomoyo are in. Maybe there is some kind of barrier." He held his head low in disappointment. "No sense in worrying about it. I might as well just go home. This was all a waste of time."  
  
Syaoran was incredibly disappointed. He looked around. Everything was in its place. until he got to his home.  
  
"What the hell is going on here? Where is my home?" The boy was shocked to find in the place of his home, the wooden frames of a house were there instead. "Mia?! Kero-chan?! Where are you? What happened?"  
  
He couldn't believe it. It was as if someone had come along and in less than 5 minutes stripped his house of everything but the supports. What had happened?  
  
An idea hit Syaoran. He rushed down the street until he found a newspaper stand. He grabbed a paper.  
  
"I. I don't believe it.No wonder it all looks the same! It's 1991! It worked!" He couldn't hold in his excitement as he leapt up and down. The few people still walking the street that night stared at him very peculiarly. However, the ecstatic little boy didn't even notice as he made a fool of himself.  
  
When he finally managed to calm down, he sat down on a nearby bench and tried to think of what to do next. First of all, while he could go until the next night without anymore sleep, he needed to find a place to stay. But first, he needed to find Sakura.  
  
"Well, I suppose a temporary home can wait. or, maybe I can find a place near Sakura to stay. It seems my house was completed shortly before I moved here, so it's not finished yet. I guess I have to just look around and see if anything is different from our time."  
  
He got off the bench and wandered around the neighborhood. It seemed like the same small town in the present. Not much was different. He saw certain businesses that had closed in his time or had not opened yet. But he didn't recognize most of the few people walking the streets.  
  
Eventually, he reached Sakura's home. He peered into the house via the living room window. There was no sign that anyone was awake. "Hmmm. I wonder if they're even home."  
  
The sound of a car approached. Syaoran turned around to see who it was, but he wasn't fast enough. The headlights blinded him. He had been spotted. The boy ran behind the house as fast as possible. The car pulled up and Syaoran heard a door open and slam, followed by the sound of running.  
  
"Do you see anyone, son?" A little boy, probably around 10 years old, with messy dark brown hair and eyes of the same color ran behind the house. "Grrr. I KNOW I saw someone, dad. But I don't see anyone." "Then come back in. but be quieter. your baby sister is asleep. It's. been a rough day for us all."  
  
The three silhouetted figures slowly walked to the front of their home, or rather two, as one was just a little girl on her father's back, sound asleep. But the figure of the young boy stopped before leaving the backyard. He gazed around, still expecting to see someone. "I know I saw someone." He opened the front door and stepped inside.  
  
Stomp!  
  
Syaoran landed perfectly on his feet, leaping from the branches of the tree. "That was close. but those voices. This is Sakura's house. Those had to be Mr. Kinomoto and Touya!"  
  
Now came a hard part for him: What to do next. "Okay, I've found them, but I don't sense Koji. Maybe he isn't in this time yet. Maybe that kid sent me back to before Koji arrived." He put his bags of supplies down on the ground. "But it's time to find a place to stay. but I doubt Mr. Kinomoto, as kind as he is, would let me stay here tonight. There are probably no motels or hotels, either, this late. I guess I'll just camp out, then."  
  
Syaoran picked up his luggage and dropped it over the fence that led to the woods. He then leapt over himself, grabbed his luggage, and hurried off.  
  
Within fifteen minutes, he already had his tent up. The boy could have stayed awake had he wanted to, but he thought it was best to be well rested if Koji showed up.  
  
When morning came, Syaoran got up quickly and got to work. He had a week's worth of provisions and some extra money in case he ran out. There was a nearby stream where he bathed and washed anything he needed to.  
  
Once he had finished everything he needed to, he had to find a way to get to Sakura. "There must be some way to get inside," he said aloud. "Sayonara! I'm heading off to school!"  
  
The voice of a young boy cried from the front door. Syaoran slowly walked to the side of the house and peeked out just enough to see someone leaving. "Wait! You forgot this text book," Fujitaka cried out. His chance had come. While Fujitaka chased after Touya, Syaoran raced to the front door and entered. He made sure not to leave any sign he had been there as he walked up to where Sakura's room was. at least in the present. He opened the door and quickly shut it, though he made sure to close it quietly. The last thing that was needed was Fujitaka spotting him.  
  
Syaoran leaned on the door in relief. He had finally made it to Sakura's room. "Hoe? Syaowan? Syaowan, is that you?"  
  
The boy looked around. "What? Sakura. Where are you?" "Down here!" Syaoran looked down, and there, standing at his feet, was Sakura.  
  
Or rather, it was much smaller, younger version of her. "Syaowan? Is that really you? It is!" The pint-sized toddler hugged his knee. "S-S-Sakura?! Is that you?! But. but. you're so small!" She looked up, still hugging his knees. Yes, I know. I'm only three years old. I have no idea why Koji took us back to this time. All I know is when I woke up, I wasn't half cat anymore, and I was being rocked in my dad's arms." Syaoran scratched his head puzzlingly. "Let's see. maybe he thought killing you in this time, as a small child, would be easier."  
  
That's when an idea hit Sakura. Her eyes began to fill with tears. Syaoran noticed this and asked, "What's the matter?" Sakura turned her head away. "I. I think I may know why he chose now." "Huh? Why?" Sakura began to cry more. She tried to hold it in as best as she could. "We've been going somewhere. everyday. You see. I arrived in this time about two weeks ago. Nothing has happened in that time, yet. I haven't seen Koji. But. two weeks ago." She sniffled. "Two weeks ago today. was. was. my mother, Nadeshiko's, funeral." "." Syaoran didn't know what to say.  
  
Sakura began to sob. She couldn't hold it in. "I always have missed my mother! But I've always had father, and big brother, and Tomoyo, and all of my friends, so I was never lonely. but finally. I can just be there. to see my mother's coffin. to sit and listen to people who knew her, speaking of how her life was ended so soon. I. I. Dad tries to be calm and collected. But he's in deep emotional pain. I can' stand to see it! Koji is probably trying to take advantage of all of this! It's not fair!" She suddenly burst into tears, making a large racket. "Sakura, I. I." "SAKURA-SAN!" Fujitaka's voice echoed from downstairs. "What's wrong?!"  
  
Rapid footsteps were heard just before the door to Sakura's bedroom was flung open. "What's wrong?! Oh, don't cry. Don't cry. I know. we're all hurting." He lifted her into his arms and slowly rocked her. "I know how confusing this must be. You're so little, so new to the world, so innocent." He started to cry himself. "But relax. it'll be okay. Come on. let's go down to the kitchen. Maybe some food will calm you down. Maybe then we can take a walk to the park. Does that sound fun? Touya won't be back from school for a while."  
  
Fujitaka rocked his baby girl in his arms gently, trying to soothe her, as he left her room. As soon as the door was shut, Syaoran pulled himself back up by his fingers and went through the window. When he heard Fujitaka coming, he had immediately leapt out the window.  
  
"Dammit, this is not good. How can I talk with Sakura if she is so young Fujitaka is always looking after her? And I still don't know where Tomoyo is. I don't know where Koji is, either. There's so much left to do, and I don't know how to do it!" He stared out the window. "But maybe." Syaoran climbed out of Sakura's room and onto the roof. In a squatting position, he could easily see anyone who approached or left the house. That's how the youthful bodyguard of Sakura sat for 10 minutes. After that time, he heard the front door open and close. Syaoran sat there, watching Fujitaka carry a now-calmer Sakura in his arms.  
  
"Come on. A little time in the park will do you some good." As soon as those two were out of sight, Syaoran ran back to Sakura's window, grabbed a rain gutter, and slid down to the ground. He leapt over the fence, grabbed one bag of supplies, and ran towards the park as fast as he could.  
  
He arrived a few minutes before Fujitaka and Sakura did. Syaoran sat down on a bench and waited. When Fujitaka did arrive, the boy shuffled through his supplies to make it seem like he was busy.  
  
"There you go, Sakura." Fujitaka took Sakura out of his lap and she wandered into the sandbox that was a mere 5 meters from Fujitaka's bench. Fujitaka took out a brief case and began to fill out paperwork. He glanced up every few seconds to check on Sakura.  
  
"Dammit," Syaoran mumbled under his breath, "how can I talk to Sakura is he's watching?"  
  
Suddenly, he heard a soft whimpering behind him. He turned around to hear that it came from the woods. Syaoran decided to try and find who it was that was crying. He spotted a little girl, sitting on the cold Earth.  
  
"Sniff. I'll never see her again. My precious Sakura." The young girl had long black hair, but she was turned away from Syaoran. "Excuse me, little girl, is something wrong?"  
  
"Huh? That voice?" The little one turned around. Syaoran gasped. "TOMOYO?!" "Syaoran? SYAORAN! It is you!" The younger Tomoyo ran up and hugged him as he bent over. "How did you get here? Is Sakura here? Tell me! TELL ME! PLEASE!" "Calm down, calm down! First, you tell me what happened."  
  
Tomoyo began to tell her story. "I first awoke in my room of our old home. Sakura was nowhere to be found. I started to cry. That's when I overheard my mother. She said Nadeshiko had died. She was in tears for weeks. She was cursing Sakura's father. My mother said she never ever wanted to speak to him or even see him again. She still blames him for her dying. Also, if mother doesn't even talk to Fujitaka, there's no way I can see Sakura." Syaoran smiled. "Oh, there's a way you can see Sakura!" Tomoyo's eyes brightened and she smiled the cutest smile. "Really?! How?! HOW?!" A sweat drop rolled down Syaoran's head. "Settle down. Sakura is in this park, over in the sandbox!"  
  
Tomoyo's eyes sparkled like stars. "Oh, my dear Sakura-chan. She's here! I have to see her!" Wait, before you do, I can't talk to her. Mr. Kinomoto would get suspicious. Can you give her this message?" Syaoran asked. "Sure!" Syaoran whispered into Tomoyo's ear. "That's a good plan! I'll go tell her! Bye, bye!" Syaoran smiled. "Maybe we can finally get Koji after all."  
  
*****  
  
Deep in the forest.  
  
"Dammit! I can't believe that kid is here! I worked so hard just to keep him away."Koji drew a sword of energy. It was as black as can be. It was so dark, it dimmed the land around him. "But with this new weapon." He slashed the air, cutting a path of trees straight ahead. "I don't think I'll have too many problems with him.  
  
To be continued. 


	14. Syaoran Falls

Konnichiwa. I'm back from my vacation. I felt bad about not being able to update for so long, that as I was writing, I decided to cut this chapter in half just to give you all something to tide you over until I can do a huge chapter again. That's why this update is so short. But fret not. I'm still working, and there seems to be no more vacations heading my way. But until then, here are a couple of pages of the next chapter.  
  
Notice: I own a computer. I own video games. But I don't own CCS. It belongs to the geniuses of CLAMP.  
  
Chapter 14- Syaoran Falls  
  
Tomoyo scampered back to the woods where Syaoran was. "I'm back! Thank you so much, Syaoran! I was so happy to see Sakura. She also agrees. This plan may work. We can meet back here everyday." Syaoran smiled. "That's good. But. I never asked. How exactly did you get here?" "Oh, my mother is here. She's on the other side of the park. She isn't near here, so she won't see Mr. Kinomoto. If you remember, Mr. Kinomoto didn't even know my mother's last name was now Daidouji when they met. or in this case, are going to meet at the school field day. That means they won't meet at all. That also means since we both come here, this is the only time we can all talk, you, Sakura, and I." Syaoran nodded along with what she said. "Okay, this will work perfectly. But remember, we don't know where Koji is, or who he may be after this time. Just be on your guard and I'll see you later."  
  
"Tomoyo, honey, where did you go?" Sonomi called out to her from a distance. "Uh-oh. That's my mom. I better go. See you later, Syaoran! Bye, bye!" Tomoyo ran off out of the woods as fast as her little 3 year old legs could carry her.  
  
An evil presence filled the air. "Koji? Is he here? Already?" Sweat began to pour down Syaoran's face. "I better get out of these woods, or I'll be a sitting duck."  
  
He ran through the woods as fast as he could. The sound of twigs, leaves, and grass crackled beneath him. He had no idea where he was going. However, Koji's presence grew nearer. Suddenly, the ground began to rumble. A loud crashing sound came before Syaoran. He didn't know what to think, so the boy grabbed a charm from his pocket. "WIND!"  
  
The boy was lifted by a gust of wind high into the air. He saw he was in the center of the woods. But below him, a stack of trees, all in a straight line, were blown away and cut down. "What could have done that?" Syaoran wondered.  
  
When the spell ended, he found himself on the ground with an arm squeezing him and a sword at his throat. "Hello, Syaoran, remember me? I have a few questions for you." It was Koji.  
  
"Heh. I knew it was you. Only an idiot like you would attack in broad daylight." Koji smiled. "Who's the bigger idiot? The man who attacks in the day, or the fool caught by that attacker? Now, just shut up and answer a few questions for me." Syaoran laughed. "Well, which is it? Do you want me to shut up or answer your questions?" A vein popped on Koji's face. "YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT! Now, how did you get here? You have no Cards and Sakura was here, not in your time."  
  
"A friend gave me a ride." Koji drew his sword closer to Syaoran's unguarded throat. "WHO? A name! That person is going to have to answer to me. You've interfered with my plans for the last time. but for anyone to send you into the past, they must have a great deal of magic. And that could be a problem for me." Syaoran growled. "Well, I don't know the name of the guy who sent me back. He kept himself anonymous." Koji laughed. "Really? That's too bad. I really wanted to meet him. Oh well. but if you can't answer that, then I have only one last thing I can use you for." Syaoran didn't like the sound of that.  
  
"What else do you want?" The evil demon pushed the sword he held away from Syaoran's throat, but he still stronger than the boy and was able to hold him in place with one arm. "This, my little friend, is the 'Sword of Anguish.'" Syaoran still struggled to get free, but to no avail. "Why am I somehow not comforted by the sword's name?" He stated sarcastically. "Quiet. This blade glows with the pure energy of evil. Within it lies the pure essence of what makes darkness dark. In a sense, it is ultimate in its power. It can cut just about anything. Legends speak of black knights in the Middle Ages wielding this unholy blade into battles where they were outnumbered 100-to-1. None of their opponents ever survived."  
  
Syaoran REALLY didn't like where this was going. "That's great, but what does this have to do with me?" Koji placed the sharp side of the sword at Syaoran's throat. "Oh, I've just been curious."  
  
Koji slid the Demonic Sword across the front of the poor boy's neck in the blink of an eye. "I've wanted to experience how well it worked on humans."  
  
Syaoran fell to the ground. He could feel a small trickle of blood rolling down his neck. It wasn't fatal, as far as he could tell at that moment, but it hurt. Badly.  
  
The sadistic follower of Sadin laughed. "I'm impressed! I barely even touched you, but I cut your throat a little. Don't worry. I'm not going to kill you. right away. I think I'll just test this out a little while longer. Just let you slowly bleed to death."  
  
Syaoran covered his neck with his hands. He thought to himself, "Dammit. I'm dead. My throat. It feels like it's on fire. Wait a second, fire! I have to wait for an opening."  
  
Koji began to raise the Sword of Anguish in the air. "I wonder what limb I should hit first."  
  
Syaoran reached into his pocket and threw a charm directly into Koji's face. It ignited on contact. The flaming demon screamed and jumped back. He dropped onto the ground began to roll around, in order to extinguish the flames that were starting to spread. In the process, he dropped his sword.  
  
Syaoran staggered to his feet. As soon as he did, Koji finished dealing with the flames. He started to get up as Syaoran charged and kicked him straight in the face. Koji fell backwards to the ground. Then, the freed boy made a mad dash through the woods before Koji could recover. Blood from the cut slowed him down, however. He felt fatigued.  
  
"DAMMIT," Koji screamed. He got onto his feet, wiped the blood from his nose and lip, and retrieved his sword. "I can't see him. but. I know which direction he ran. Heh. Let's see him survive this!" Koji pulled his sword straight back and it began to become even darker. "Grrrrr. SHOCKWAVE!"  
  
A thin black line of energy formed a semi circle in front of the evil one as he slashed. It charged forward, knocking everything down in its path. It slammed trees, poles, trail markers, everything to the ground.  
  
Syaoran reached the edge of the woods. As relieved as he was to see an open area, he realized he had made a slight miscalculation. He found himself out of the woods, but the only route away was a 10-meter drop to the ground.  
  
He reached into his pocket to grab a wind charm. He didn't want to risk jumping in his condition from such a height onto a road. But an all of too familiar rumbling sound came from behind him. The boy turned to see just a streak of darkness until.  
  
CRASH!  
  
Syaoran could see nothing as he was hurled through the air. He could do nothing. just fall. fall. fall.  
  
To be continued. 


	15. Amnesia?

I'm terribly sorry about the updates, or lack thereof. I had some writer's block, problems finding TIME to write, problems getting the story out soon enough to my friend and grammar checker and partner in crime, etc. But here is another chapter. I can only hope to have more regular updates now that both my editor and I have no more vacations to waste time on.  
  
Chapter 15- Amnesia?  
  
Faint voices cried out to him, but he could see nothing and hear little. He could feel nothing. "Oh, my God! Is he okay?" "He's bleeding! He's got a nasty cut on his throat. but he's breathing. barely."  
  
Syaoran then completely blacked out.  
  
Next thing he knew, the burning pain in his throat had returned. He began to stir around. "What? Oh! Come look! He's coming to!" "I. I hear voices. am. am I dead? My throat was slit. I fell. I must be. I couldn't survive. Sakura, I'm sorry." Syaoran thought to himself. Suddenly, though, he realized he was very much alive.  
  
Syaoran sat up and rubbed his neck. It was all bandaged up. He opened his eyes slowly and his vision gradually cleared. In front of him were two boys about his age. One had medium-long blonde hair, thin glasses, and blue eyes. The other had messy brown hair, dark brown eyes, and a cold stare. "Huh? Touya? Kai?"  
  
(Author's note: Kai is a boy in Touya's grade. He's not in the series or manga. Mostly, because I made him up. But he's in Touya's grade.)  
  
The two boys looked amazed. "How did you know our names?" the blonde haired boy asked. "Ummm. I. I. woke up a little while ago, and. I. overheard you two talking."  
  
The first boy smiled. "Oh. That explains it. But I'm just glad you're okay. We didn't know if you'd recover anytime soon. We were just walking along down the road together when you suddenly dropped from the sky. You were beaten up pretty badly." Touya nodded. "You were covered in bruises. But your throat looked like someone had tried to slit it. What happened to you?"  
  
There was no chance in Hell Kai and Touya would believe what had really happened. "I was taking a hike through the woods by myself. Then. ummm. I decided to stop at a nearby tree to rest. I was leaning against it. I. ummm. I remember I took my pocketknife out for something... I can't remember. My head hurts. But I remember. the knife slipped. it hit my throat. Then, it's all a blur. But I remember falling. That's all." The blonde haired Kai looked worried. "Is something wrong with your memory? You can't remember what happened exactly?" Syaoran nodded. "Nope." Touya growled. "Maybe he was doing something illegal in the woods and just wants to cover his tracks." The new boy smiled. "I doubt that. He doesn't look like a criminal, and what could he do? Oh! I almost forgot to ask: What is your name?"  
  
Syaoran sweated. He thought to himself, "I can't tell them my real name, or they'll recognize me when I get back to the present. I have to do something!" Syaoran gulped. "Ummm. My name is. ummm." He rubbed his head. "Ah! I can't remember!" "What?? Are you serious? Do you have. what's it called? .Amsia?" Kai asked "That's AMNESIA," Touya corrected. Syaoran nodded. "I. I think so. I can't remember anything." He tried his hardest to tell a convincing lie.  
  
"Well, the doctor said you had a bad bump to the head," Yukito stated. "Huh? I did?" Touya nodded. "You landed on your head. We weren't sure if you'd survive. But we brought you here and called a paramedic. When they arrived, they said there wasn't much more they could do. They said if we kept you here and warm, you'd be fine. But they did patch up your neck and said you shouldn't move it too much for a while."  
  
Syaoran stood up. "Where are you going?" Kai asked. ".I just need to think. Maybe a walk will aid my memory. Maybe all this amnesia stuff is temporary. But I thank you for your hospitality. I wish I could repay you." He bowed to the two boys and turned toward the door. "Wait!" Kai said. "Well, my parents won't let you stay here much longer, but. Touya, could you let him sleep at your house?" "WHAT?" "Well, it would only be until he could find a place to stay. I mean, he doesn't even know who he is! Are you just going to throw him out into the rain?" Touya growled. "Fine. I'll go introduce you to my father. But just don't touch anything there! Be back here in an hour. I have things to do. But in an hour, I'll walk you to my house. Okay?" Syaoran bowed again, trying to hide the smile on his face. "Thank you. I'll find some way to make sure your kindness is paid for."  
  
Syaoran stepped out of Kai's house and stepped into the bright sunlight. It felt great to be in the sun again. Who knew how long he had been asleep? He didn't know what to do first. Syaoran stretched out his arms and legs, but when he tried to flex his neck, it hurt severely. The wound must not have healed very much. He'd have to be careful or it could get worse.  
  
Judging by the sun, it was around noon. Syaoran knew where to go. However, thoughts of pessimism and regret filled his mind.  
  
***** "Finally! The brat is dead! There's no way he could have survived that!" Koji took a sip of beer he had stolen from a local store. He had 'borrowed' a few other supplies at a five-finger discount.  
  
He slammed the empty beer bottle down, shattering it. "I checked all over the town, and there wasn't a trace of him for two whole days, just a bloodstain trail on the sidewalk. They must have found him and dragged his carcass to the undertaker. Well, time to finish my mission. I can kill Sakura, take her soul, and with the power from her in the Orb of Souls, I can revive Sadin!" He drew his sword and walked off. *****  
  
Tomoyo patted down the sand of her simple constructions in the sand box. She was quite cute and content to play in her little spot. Syaoran approached. "Syaoran! You're here! But. where were you for the past two days?" He pointed to the large bandage around his neck. "Oh my-Are you alright?" He nodded. "What happened to-" "Where's Sakura?" He interrupted. "She's not here today. She's still at home. We've seen no sign of Koji at all." Syaoran bowed. "Thank you." He turned and walked away.  
  
A million thoughts went through his mind. All he could concentrate on were his duties. According to his watch, he had 40 minutes before he had to return to Kai's home so Touya could take him to his house for an introduction to Fujitaka.  
  
After about 10 minutes, he arrived at Sakura's house. Slowly and silently, he crept towards the side of the house. Syaoran peered into the window. Fujitaka sat on the couch, reading a book quietly. Sakura wasn't in sight, indicating that she must be upstairs.  
  
"WIND!" Syaoran was carried up to the rooftop, where he climbed through Sakura's window. He looked around. Sakura was asleep in her bed, clutching hard onto her blanket. She was so small.  
  
Syaoran sat down on the chair by her desk and thought. He didn't want to wake her up. However, that was in vain, as she began to stir. "Hoe?" Sakura opened her eyes slowly and yawned.  
  
Syaoran was startled. "What? Oh, I didn't wake you, did I? I'm sorry." Sakura shook her head. "No, no. It's okay. I was going to wake up soon anyway." She rubbed her eyes. "HOEEEEE?! Your neck! What happened?! Is that why you weren't anywhere I knew of for 2 days?" He nodded. "I met up with Koji in the woods. He cut my throat. Luckily, it wasn't too bad."  
  
Sakura got up off her bed and ran to him. She jumped onto his lap and hugged him. Syaoran began to blush. "I'm so glad you're okay. Please, be careful. I don't want to lose you to that demon. I'm sorry I couldn't be of some help."  
  
Syaoran picked the infantile Sakura up and put her down. He looked her on the eyes. "Sakura. No, I'M the one who should be sorry. If something had happened to me. then there would have been no one to protect you. I was careless." Tears formed in his eyes. "Koji is after YOU. I'm supposed to be protecting you. If I was killed. Who." "Syaoran, if you were killed, I wouldn't be able to go on."  
  
"What. do you mean?" Syaoran asked. She hugged him tighter. "You've always been there for me. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be where I am today. Syaoran. I. I."  
  
"Sakura-san! Who are you talking to up there?" Fujitaka interrupted. A sweat drop rolled down her and Syaoran's heads. "Ummm. uhhh. No one, Daddy! I just woke up! I was. umm. just.playing with my dollies!" "Oh, okay. But I have to go to the university in a few hours, and you're coming with me, so don't make a mess. Otherwise, you'll have to clean it up in the morning." "Okay!"  
  
Sakura jumped off of Syaoran's lap, which, relative to her size, was gigantic. Syaoran walked to Sakura's window and prepared to climb out. "Oh, and before I go, I'll be back in about half an hour. After Koji cut me, I was saved by your brother and his classmate, Kai. However, I couldn't reveal who I really was, so I pretended that I forgot. Now, they want me to sleep HERE. When I come back, just pretend you don't know me but you want me here." Sakura nodded. "Okay. I can do that."  
  
Syaoran gave her one last look before jumping to the ground below.  
  
Sakura's face was as pink as her name implied. "Of course, I don't need to pretend I want you here."  
  
Syaoran ran back to Kai's house as fast as he could. "Ten minutes?! I must have stayed there longer than I thought!" His neck was sore as he darted down the street. The wind blowing against his wounds was very painful indeed, but he didn't seem to notice. His mind was fixated on something else.  
  
Or rather, someone else.  
  
He remembered staring into Sakura's eyes. She may have been shrunk down to a toddler, but that look was the same. That same warm feeling he always had when he looked into her eyes.  
  
His face turned red. However, now was not the time to think about such things.  
  
Within a minute or two, he reached his destination. He opened the front door and saw Kai and Touya, wearing a backpack. "Ok, I think we have enough for our report on Monday." They both turned their heads to see Syaoran in the doorway. "So there you are. Come on. We're walking to my house." Syaoran's eyes shrunk to dots. "More walking?" He sighed. "Okay, okay, let's go."  
  
As Touya and he were walking down the street, they noticed something strange. "Wait, I didn't see that before." They crossed the street and stared at the ground. "This is where we found you," he said, pointing at the ground. Touya looked over the tall concrete wall next to them. He found a small crevice to grab onto and started to climb. Syaoran followed behind. When they got to the top, what they found startled them. Trees had fallen everywhere. Some were completely uprooted. Even the grass in some areas had been thrown around. It was awful.  
  
"What the HELL could have done this?!" Touya asked, before giving a suspicious eye to Syaoran. A sweat drop rolled down Syaoran's head as he tried to shake his head, only to hurt his neck. "OW! .I mean, I didn't do this! I have no idea how this happened!" Touya snarled. "You mean to tell me you were found, out cold, in front of this carnage, and you have no idea when, why, or what happened here?" Syaoran was going to nod, but he knew better. "I know it sounds far fetched, but. Do you think someone my size could lift a tree out of the ground and toss it aside like a toothpick?" After a moment of silence, Touya said, "I suppose you're right. But I'll have my eye on you."  
  
They leapt down, carefully, to the street below and continued on to the Kinomoto residence. By the time the boys reached there, Syaoran was ready to collapse from all the running. His neck didn't seem to like it very much, either. "Okay, when you come inside, boy, don't touch anything. Just follow me." They stepped inside, took off their shoes, and walked towards the living room. Syaoran pretended to be looking around, as if he had never been there before.  
  
Fujitaka was still on the couch, reading a book. When he saw Touya approach, he placed the book on the table. "Hello, Touya. Did you get a lot done on that report with Mr. Takahasi?" Touya nodded. "I did. but there's something I have to ask you." He pointed to Syaoran. "This is the boy I told you about. The one Kai and I helped." "Oh? This is the boy?" Fujitaka smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Syaoran bowed. "I'm glad to make your acquaintance, Mr. Kinomoto." Touya sighed. "Well, I don't really like it, but Kai says we have to find a home for this guy. He has amnesia or something. He can't remember where he lives." Fujitaka gaped. "That's awful! Well, of course he can stay here! However, there's one condition."  
  
Fujitaka stepped out of the living room and headed upstairs. The two boys were dumbfounded. What could he want?  
  
Fujitaka came down the stairs with Sakura in his arms. "This is my daughter, Sakura. As of late, I've been very busy. If you wouldn't mind babysitting her while I'm working, you can stay as long as you like." Touya gasped. "You can't be serious!" "Why not?" "You're trusting my baby sister to some stranger you just met! No one gets to touch my sister except for me!" Mr. Kinomoto smiled. "Now, now. I can see it in him. He's a nice boy. I think we can trust him." Sakura stretched her arms out to Syaoran. He grabbed her and held her in his arms. Sakura laughed out loud, squirming around, acting as though she were having the time of her life. Mr. Kinomoto smiled. "Well, there's your proof. Sakura trusts him. If you're still not convinced, we can discuss it tomorrow." Touya growled angrily. You could almost feel his distrust in the air. He gave Syaoran a glare that could make every hair on your body stand on end. "Okay, you can stay and keep a watch on her, but watch your back, because I'll be watching YOU. So don't do anything stupid," Touya staggered off out the front door in a rage.  
  
A sweat drop rolled down each of Sakura, Syaoran, and Fujitaka's heads. Mr. Kinomoto laughed. "Don't worry about him. He's just a little overprotective about his sister." "So I noticed." Syaoran muttered.  
  
"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. You may set a place for yourself if you wish to join us. I'll go run upstairs and fix you a place to sleep."  
  
Dinner was delicious, as were all of Fujitaka's meals. However, there was a lot of tension in the air. Touya kept staring at Syaoran. Even as a 10-year- old, his glares were scary. It was a nerve-racking situation. He now knew how Sakura felt when he stared at her when they first met. After dinner, they all went straight to bed.  
  
Syaoran's 'bed' was just a sleeping bag in Sakura's room, on the floor. Fujitaka said the downstairs was too drafty to stay in, his room wasn't large enough, and Touya probably wouldn't take the invasion of privacy very well.  
  
After changing into a pair of Touya's pajamas, (again, something Touya didn't take very well) Syaoran got into his seeping bag in the corner. He peered at Sakura's bed. She was already asleep. She gave a big yawn and rolled over. In one hand, she had a death grip on her blanket and the other was resting on her pink pajama top with a gold star on it. He started to blush. He finally had time to think about all that had happened. But it was long before he fell asleep.  
  
"Clow Reed? Is that." Clow Reed appeared before Syaoran. "It is you.. But. why.?" Syaoran tried to approach, but the faster he ran to him, the farther away he went. He turned to his side to see Sakura with him. They ran together, side by side, but it proved to be in vain. Reed disappeared. Then, from out of the sky dropped Koji, who gave them an evil glare before chasing after the magician. The two scream out to stop him.  
  
"Dad! Dad! Wake up! There's someone outside!" Syaoran woke up and rubbed his eyes. The clock on Sakura's nightstand said it was 2:18 in the morning. He sat up and looked around.  
  
"Uhhh. Touya? What's the matter?" "I already told you! I thought I heard someone outside!" Syaoran could hear Touya and Fujitaka in the other room. "It's probably just the wind!" "Well, that's what I thought. until I heard something rubbing up against the house, mumbling and cursing!" "What? I'll go check it out. You go wait in the living room and call the police."  
  
Syaoran stood up. He listened carefully to see if he could hear anything. The only sound was the walking of Fujitaka and the chirping of cicadas. Until.  
  
"Hey! Who are you? Wait! OOF!"  
  
Syaoran rushed to the window. All he could see was Mr. Kinomoto lying on the ground, face first.  
  
"YAGH!" A shadow leapt up to the window and into Syaoran's face. "YOU! But I killed you!" Koji stepped forward, allowing the light of the moon to show his face.  
  
To be continued. 


	16. Battling for Sakura

New chapter! Sorry it isn't very long, but there wasn't much to add. It's basically a fight scene, so. Well, anyway, enjoy! Read and review, onegai. P.S. I have a new e-mail address. Send all mail to wallcrawler86@frontiernet.net.  
  
Chapter 16- Fighting for Sakura  
  
Koji grabbed Syaoran by his shirt and held his opponent to his face. "How can you still be alive?! No matter what I do, you always come back!"  
  
By this point, Sakura had awakened and was trembling in fear. "Syaoran! Don't you dare hurt him, Koji!"  
  
Koji turned his head away from Syaoran and stared at the young magical girl on the bed. "Well, who do we have here?" He shoved Syaoran back into the closet doors, causing them to collapse. "A little, tiny, cute baby. How adorable!" He drew the Sword of Anguish from its sheath at his side. "But it's time for all little babies to go to sleep."  
  
Syaoran tried to get to his feet, but he was too slow. Koji had the black sword in the air and was ready to bring it down on the infantile Card Mistress. Sweat poured down Sakura's face as she trembled, huddled in her corner. The sword sliced through the air and-  
  
"UGH!" Koji hit the ground with a thud.  
  
"Keep your hands OFF MY SISTER, you bastard!"  
  
Syaoran was shocked. Never before had he been so relieved to see Touya. But Koji wasn't down long. "You insolent whelp! Don't mess with grown-up matters!" He jumped to his feet, pulled his arm back, and threw a fist at the brave brother. Touya, however, wouldn't go down so easily. He dodged the punch and slammed his elbow into Koji's back. But the blow didn't send the demon to the floor. Instead, he grew angrier. He brought his right arm back and with one swing, he knocked Touya across the room. The boy hit his head on the wall, right next to Syaoran. At once, Master Li was on his feet again and with all his wits, so he checked on Touya. "He's out cold."  
  
Koji grabbed his sword, which lay on the ground from Touya's sudden attack. "Huh? Where did she go?" Koji pondered aloud. Sakura stood on the windowsill as she climbed out. "Oh, there you are! Little girls shouldn't play so high up! Allow me to help you!"  
  
Sakura climbed to the top of her house. The moon was half-full, although it gave off enough light to see everything. There wasn't a cloud to obscure the view anywhere. The stars burned brightly overhead. However, the young and pure girl had no time to marvel at this scene. Koji walked slowly to her. "Nowhere left to run to. No one left to turn to. This ends now." Sakura stepped backwards, but she lost her balance and fell onto her butt. Tears filled her eyes as she trembled. Koji smiled evilly as he raised his sword once more.  
  
CRACK!  
  
The smashing of bone was heard as Syaoran turned Koji around and dealt him a punch right on the nose. The demon fell to the tiles and rolled down. "So, not only are you a murderer, a demon, and a pervert with obsessions on some women, which I shall never forgive you for, but you also like to stalk young girls? You sicken me."  
  
Koji leapt to his feet. "Damn you! No matter what I do, you just keep coming back!" He leapt forward with his sword, but Syaoran nimbly dodged the blow. He countered with a stab, but Koji ducked under it.  
  
The fight continued on the roof for 5 minutes. Every slice, stab, and swing was dodged. Neither could get an advantage on the other. Syaoran ran up one side of the roof and brought his sword up, cutting the shingles of the roof. Koji struck from above and their swords met. Syaoran remembered this from before. So when Koji kicked out, trying to hit Syaoran in the gut, he jumped back and gave a sweeping kick to send the demon down.  
  
Before Syaoran could deliver the final blow, Koji sent another shockwave from his sword. It sent Syaoran flying back and rolling down the roof. Before he fell off, Syaoran grabbed a rain gutter, barely holding on for his life.  
  
Koji got to his feet and stood over the young Li. "Finally. you can't escape. I shall let nothing else distract me. NOW DIE!" As Koji lifted the sword into the air, preparing to break Syaoran's skull, a million thoughts went through the boy's head. "If I drop, I'll be killed. I can't summon wind in time. If I stay, I die. I. I don't have a choice. I-"  
  
"JUMP!" "OOF!"  
  
Syaoran was shocked. Sakura stood over a fallen Koji. Wings were on her feet. She had given him a kick to the face, judging by his bruises. "What the.?!" Koji exclaimed. Sakura held out a miniature version of her staff. "Have you forgotten? The Clow cards aren't affected by time. I can still use them." "Why, you little bitch!" Koji leapt to his feet and grabbed his sword. He was prepared to cut Sakura into tiny pieces. "SWORD!"  
  
A flash of light filled the air. The glow of Koji's sword faded. Sakura held her sword at her side. "W-What did you do to my sword?!" Suddenly, the sword of Anguish disintegrated in Koji's hands. "No! NO! It's not possible!"  
  
Syaoran leapt back onto the roof during the commotion. "You really don't know much about the Clow Cards, do you? The Sword Card can cut anything. That includes other magic swords." "Damn you! You haven't won, yet! As long as I'm still breathing, I'll keep fighting so I may revive Sadin!" "Enough!" Syaoran pointed his sword right at Koji's throat. "You've tried to kill me on numerous occasions. You've even cut my throat. You've played mind games, forcing Sakura to bear witness to her mother's funeral. You've even sunk so low as to try and kill our ancestors and Sakura when she was so young. It's time for you to go away forever!" Tears rolled down Syaoran's face. "You tried to kill Sakura. You can go after me, but when you touch her, you go too far!" Sakura stood in shock. All she could mumble was, "Syaoran."  
  
"You've caused more grief to us than anyone! NOW LEAVE US IN PEACE!" Syaoran stabbed his sword straight down at Koji, who rolled out of the way, but was severely cut.  
  
"I'm not going to let you stop my mission!" Koji dived backwards and charged. When Syaoran saw this, he held his foot out. When they connected, Syaoran fell back, keeping his foot on Koji, until the demon was flung into the air, over the roof.  
  
"DAMN YOU!" Koji screamed. In a panic, Koji pulled out the Mirror of Time and vanished into a portal before he hit the ground.  
  
"WAIT!" Syaoran ran and leapt off the roof, landing in the portal, too.  
  
"I'm coming, too!" Sakura leapt off the roof with the Jump Card, and vanished before the portal could close.  
  
The next thing they knew, Sakura and Syaoran were in front of the Shinto Garden gate.  
  
"We're. back?" Sakura asked. She was back to her normal self. No cat ears, no infant body, or anything of the like.  
  
She threw her arms around Syaoran. "Thank you! Thank you!" Syaoran's face turned bright red. "Umm. I. umm. well, I couldn't let you just. That is."  
  
They both fell silent and embraced. "Syaoran. thank you. I was so scared," Sakura said after a minute. "If it weren't for you, I'd have been too scared to fight back. You gave me the courage to stand up to Koji, no matter how little I was." "Sakura. I. You always had that courage. C'mon. Let's just go home before Mia, Kero, and Tomo-"  
  
A cold chill went up their spines. It hit them both at once. "WE FORGOT TO BRING TOMOYO BACK!"  
  
"Oh, my God, what are we going to do?!" Sakura panicked. "I'm not sure! Can she be here in the present if got stuck?!"  
  
"Wait! I have an idea!" Sakura exclaimed! "O, Key that holds the Power of the Stars. Reveal your true form to me! RELEASE!"  
  
The Staff grew from the tiny key around Sakura's neck into its true form.  
  
"O, card that Clow has made, I command you to lose your form and be born again under  
  
your new master, Sakura! RETURN! BRING MY FRIEND TOMOYO BACK TO THE PRESENT!"  
  
A blinding light flashed. When it faded, Tomoyo stood in its place, back to normal. "Sakura! What happened? I was just sleeping at home, and suddenly, I'm back in the present." She ran up to the Mistress of the Cards and hugged her. "Tomoyo, I'm so sorry. We forgot to take you back with us, and- " Tomoyo stopped her in her tracks with a smile. "Don't worry. I know you'd never do it on purpose." Sakura blushed. "Thank you." Tomoyo pulled out a video camera. "It was all worth it. I got the cutest footage of you while you were in the park! That would make staying in the past worth it!" Sakura and Syaoran fell to the ground in exasperation.  
  
Syaoran sighed, stood up, and rubbed his neck. "Ow. I think it's time we all went to bed." Tomoyo gasped. "Li-kun, what happened to your neck?" "It's a long story. I'll tell you as we walk home. We better get there before Kero wakes up and eats all the food in my fridge, anyway."  
  
To be continued. 


	17. The Next Target is?

New chapter! However, I have an announcement. I have recently changed my ISP. Please send all e-mail to wallcrawler86@frontiernet.net. And please enjoy. I also must request no more death threats in my e-mail or Molotov cocktails through my kitchen window when I have a cliffhanger. They're getting expensive to clean up.  
  
Chapter 17- The Next Victim Is.?  
  
The door to Syaoran's apartment slowly opened and the three kids entered. "Shhh." Syaoran shushed them and whispered, "Be as quiet as you can. Mia and Kero don't know I've been-"  
  
"Been gone?" A light turned on, temporarily blinding the three new arrivals. "Wait. S-Sakura?! Tomoyo?! You're back?!" Kero said. Mia and Kero leapt up and hugged them. "But how did you. I mean, I thought you were gone for." Sakura smiled and hugged Syaoran, who immediately turned red. "He saved us! He came back into the past and saved us! We were only infants, but he protected us." Mia laughed. "Syaoran, you didn't have to play the hero! We would have come along and helped! When I woke up this morning to a cat messing in the trashcans outside and saw you were gone, I had thought you ran away or something like that. Huh? Why is your neck all bandaged up?"  
  
Syaoran rubbed his sore neck. "I underestimated Koji. He's a lot stronger and full of hatred than ever. Just being around him. I felt even I grew angry. He has found a way to use his anger at us as a source of power. I met a sword of his. across the throat." "Oh, my! This is bad. Worse than I thought." Mia mumbled aloud. "Huh? What's bad?" Tomoyo asked.  
  
Mia sighed. "You see, Sadin let Koji join him because he could see there was something different about Koji. He might not have been as evil as some of the demons you've faced, especially Nave, but his evil grows. Soon, if he is as strong and heartless as Syaoran said, he may surpass even Sadin himself in power."  
  
"HOOOEEEEEE!" "What?!" "You're kidding!" They all exclaimed. Mia shook her head. "I wish I were kidding. But here, come closer, Syaoran."  
  
Mia unwrapped the bandage on Li-kun's neck and examined the gash with great fascination. "Wow. That's some cut. A few centimeters more and you'd be dead. It must hurt. But I can fix that." She placed one hand over the wound and Syaoran's neck began to glow blue from Mia's healing mage magic. Within a second, the wound was gone and Syaoran sighed in relief. "Ah, thank you. That feels much better." He moved his neck in a circle.  
  
"Now, you'll have to tell Kero and me all about what happened. Specific details." He shook his head. "In the morning, when we take Sakura and Tomoyo home. I'm tired." Sakura look disappointed. "We have to go tomorrow?" Syaoran nodded. "Well, you're back to normal. That's why you stayed here at all. Your family might get suspicious or worried if you're gone for too long." She sighed in displeasure. "I guess you're right." Tomoyo put one finger on her left cheek and asked, "I wonder where Koji is now, though." Mia replied, "I was wondering that, too. I've started to get a sixth sense with Koji. I've noticed when Koji attempts to change the past, I can sense it. At first, it was just a small feeling. I barely noticed. But now, I think I can even tell when and where it's coming from." Sakura smiled. "Really? So, really, you can tell when and where he'll be someplace?" She shook her head. "It's not that strong. But the next time Koji does anything wrong, I will know where we need to go. Right now, I don't sense him," she yawned. "Well, even if he was doing something right now, I don't know if I could tell if he were in this room. I'm so tired." Tomoyo and Sakura nodded in agreement. Sakura tapped Syaoran on the shoulder. "Let's just go to bed, okay? .Syaoran? Syaoran?" She bent over and noticed the boy had already fallen asleep.  
  
Sakura blushed while staring into his face, pushing back his hair, which tried to cover his eyes. "Like an angel." "Did you say something, Sakura?" Tomoyo asked. "Ummm. uhhh. no, I was. umm. Just yawning. let's go to bed. But first, I think Syaoran deserves his own bed tonight. He's earned it."  
  
The smell of breakfast came down the hallway and into Syaoran's room. The light fragrance woke him gently. He sat up and let out a huge yawn. "I feel a lot better. but for some reason, I'm so hungry." He quickly showered and got dressed before heading to the kitchen. Sakura and Mia just finished placing down breakfast when he walked in, as well as Tomoyo and Kero, who had been straightening up the house.  
  
As Mia put down another plate of food, she noticed Syaoran and asked, "Are you feeling okay this morning?" "Huh?" he replied, "I feel okay; I'm just a little hungry. Why?" Sakura looked to him too and said, "You look thinner than usual. And you were skinny to begin with." He held one hand on his stomach. "Well, I'm just a little hungry. I've been hungry the last few days. I've been eating only some small supplies I had brought and saving most of them. Then, after I fought Koji, well, I was drained."  
  
Mia thought aloud, "I guess that makes sense. Anyway, you still should eat. Get back your strength. We can't let Koji get away anymore. This time, we catch him for good. So let's be prepared." He nodded. "It smells delicious, anyway! We'll eat and then we can take everyone back to their homes."  
  
2 minutes later, the group of four kids and one guardian beast sat at the table eating breakfast. But Syaoran ate the most, shoveling it all in as fast as he could. Sweat drops rolled down the heads of everyone except Syaoran, who was busily eating. Mia asked, "Ummm. Syaoran, did you switch bodies with Yukito overnight?" "What are you talking about? Oh. I see. But I'm just very hungry. I don't know why. It's weird." Sakura smiled. "Well, you've lost some weight over the past few days. in the past. so eat up! I made plenty." "Thank you."  
  
Five or so minutes later, Syaoran had finished the rest of the food, but was still hungry. "Why am I still so hungry? I must have been more exhausted from fighting Koji than I thought. Oh, well. Sakura, Tomoyo, are you two ready to go?" The two girls stood by the door with a few bags of their supplies. "We're ready, Li," Tomoyo said. "Okay, I'll just clean up here and then I'll walk you home. Get started." "Okay," Sakura replied before stepping outside the apartment.  
  
Syaoran picked up his plates and headed for the sink when-  
  
"AUGH!" CRASH!  
  
The door to the apartment was flung open. "Syaoran! Are you okay?" Mia cried out as she looked around to find the source of the noise. "Look!" Tomoyo pointed to the kitchen. The young Li was huddled over a pile of broken dishes on the floor. Sakura ran over to him and checked him over, crying out in concern. "Are you okay? Where does it hurt? What happened? Please, get up!"  
  
Syaoran got to his knees. "I'm okay, I'm okay. No need to worry about me." Sakura still seemed to be worried, though. "What happened?" "It was nothing. I just got this sudden shock. I was carrying my plates when my arm sort of flashed. or faded out. or something. I think I just didn't get enough sleep last night. The weird thing is, I didn't lose my grip on them. It's like they just fell through me."  
  
Mia looked on concerned. "Could it be.? No. It couldn't."  
  
"Syaoran, are you going to be okay?" Sakura asked. "Yes. Let's go. I just didn't get enough sleep, so I'm a little clumsy and dizzy. I'll be fine though." Sakura put one hand on his cheek and gazed into his eyes. "But promise me that you'll get some rest when you get back here, okay?" "I. I.," he blushed, "I promise."  
  
A few minutes later, they all walked down the street. Eventually, they reached an intersection where Mia and Tomoyo took a different road to take Tomoyo to her house. When the other two reached Sakura's house, Touya was washing the car out front and Fujitaka was working on the lawn. Touya looked up and spotted them. "What the. Sakura, what are you doing with him?" "Syaoran was kind enough to walk me home from Tomoyo's party." "Humph. I just hope you're not planning on bringing him inside." Syaoran bowed. "No, I was just going back."  
  
Fujitaka stood up from his weeding and looked at Syaoran with a blank gaze. As Syaoran walked out of view, Sakura hugged her father. "Good morning, Dad!" "Huh, oh, good morning, Sakura." Sakura then walked into her room. Kero had hidden in her backpack.  
  
"Touya, that boy." "Huh? You noticed it, too?" "You mean he looks somehow familiar?" Touya nodded. "Do you suppose he could be. that boy?" Fujitaka thought for a second. "You know, he looks like that boy from long ago. but. No, it couldn't be." "Yeah, you're right, Dad. If he were that kid, he'd have to be older than me." They both returned to their work.  
  
The next day.  
  
Sakura stepped into Mr. Tereda's class and took her seat. After her first class had started, Sakura turned around to talk to Syaoran. "So, are you feeling any better after-" She noticed Li's chair was empty. "Hoe? Tomoyo, have you seen Syaoran?" "Li? No, I haven't. Where could he be?" "I'm not sure. I never heard from him after he walked me home." Tomoyo pointed to Sakura's pocketbook. "Before cheerleading, why don't you give Kero-chan a call and ask him to go look for him?" "That's a good idea."  
  
"Yeah! Yeah! Take that! Now, watch my Ultra-Super-Duper-Power-Puncher- Combo! Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A! Yahoo! I did it! I beat Super Combo Fighters X4 Special!" A cell phone rang. "Hello? Oh, hi, Sakura. Is something wrong? Uh-huh. What?! There's no way I'm going to look for that brat. What? You'll give me what?! TWO PUDDINGS WITH DINNER IF I FIND HIM?! I'll start looking right away!"  
  
The plush-like beast started to fly high over the town. "Now, where would the brat be.?" He hovered in place. "Hmmm. maybe he's at that ice cream shop down there."  
  
5 minutes later.  
  
Kero finished eating the last of the dishes of ice cream he had "borrowed" from the kitchen of the shop. "Oh well, I guess he's not here. Maybe I'll check his house." "Helloooooooooooooooo? Is anyone home?" Kero called out throughout Syaoran's house. "Let's see. He's not in the living room, the kitchen, or outside. Let's check his room." The door to the young Li's room opened slowly and silently. "Are you in here?" Kero's jaw dropped when he saw the bed. "I gotta warn Sakura! Quick!"  
  
The whirring of a video camera came from Tomoyo as she taped Sakura, gracefully tossing her baton in the air. "You're so graceful, Sakura-chan." "Hurry! Gotta hurry!" Tomoyo focused her camera on an approaching yellow figure. "Kero-chan?"  
  
"SAKURA! SAKURA! HURRY!" "Hoe? KERO-CHAN!" She caught the beast and covered him in her uniform. Rika and the other girls started to stare. A sweat drop rolled down Sakura's head as she tried to hide Kero. "A. heh. It's nothing! I just. umm. need to rest for a while." She laughed nervously and walked around a corner.  
  
"Kero-chan! I thought I told you not to come out in public! You almost-" Kero popped out of the top of her shirt. "Now's not the time! It's Syaoran! He's. he's." "What about him? Did you find him?"  
  
Kero had a morbid look on his face. "Sakura, Syaoran. he's. he's. disappearing! He's Koji's next target!!!"  
  
To be continued. 


	18. HOE! We're going where!

Yay! A new chapter! Arigotou gozaimasu to all of you who reviewed. However, now that my march through hellfire and brimstone-I mean a new school year has started, my updates may be less frequent. But do not worry, I will try to have at least one chapter out a week still. As always, read, review, but most of all, enjoy!  
  
Chapter 18- HOE?! We're going where?!  
  
The sound of footsteps was loud down the alley Sakura charged through. "SYAORAN! I'M COMING! HOLD ON A LITTLE LONGER!" Tomoyo and Kero were right behind her. The raven-haired girl turned to Kero and asked, "Kero, what's going on?" "The Li kid is in serious trouble. Remember when Koji tried to kill Kumiko and Sakura's arm disappeared? And then she lost a ton of weight?" Tomoyo nodded. "I remember all of too well. Wait, you mean.?" "'Fraid so. It looks like Syaoran is going through the same thing!" Tomoyo's eyes filled with tears. "How horrible! And if something happens to him, Sakura will never be the same! We'll lose two friends! We must help him!"  
  
Sakura's legs burned with exhaustion. "I-- I can't slow down! I won't let myself. Wait!" She darted behind a house and grabbed the key around her neck.  
  
"O, Key that holds the Power of the Stars. Reveal your true form to me! RELEASE! DASH!"  
  
With blinding speed, Sakura charged down the road. People could see nothing but a blur passing by. In a matter of seconds, Sakura reached Syaoran's apartment. The door was flung open and slammed into the wall. Tears began to pour down her face as she called out for the boy. "Syaoran, where are you?" She eyed the bedroom door and rushed in.  
  
Her jaw dropped. "Syaoran! Please! Be alright!"  
  
Mia was already by the boy's side. Sakura walked up to the bed and kneeled down. She covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh, my God." Syaoran was on top of the covers of his bed. He, too, had lost an incredible amount of weight. He looked almost like a skeleton. But what startled Sakura the most was his left leg. It was gone! "Just like my arm. No. I know what this feels like. Syaoran, I can't let this happen to you! No, I won't let it!" Mia grabbed Sakura by the arm. "Calm down, Sakura! Take a deep breath! You're going to hyperventilate." Sakura breathed in and calmed down. But it wasn't long before she was nearly choking on her tears.  
  
Syaoran slowly opened his eyes. "Sakura." The sound of his voice passed through her tears and made her turn around instantly. "Syaoran? You're awake!" She held his left hand between hers. He felt so warm. Syaoran put his other hand on Sakura's cheek and wiped away her tears. He gave a faint smile. "Sakura, don't cry. It. It. It'll take more than this to keep me down for good."  
  
Tomoyo and Kero came through the door. Both just stared and said nothing.  
  
"Sakura. I." "No, don't say anything. Save your strength, I'll be right back." Sakura stood up and ran through the door. No one knew what to do or say. The air was filled with tension.  
  
A moment later, Sakura returned with a bunch of bags with her. She scrambled through Li's drawers, grabbing more and more supplies and clothes. When she was finished, she asked, "Mia! You said you could sense when and where Koji is. Can you tell me exactly when?" "Uhhh, of course. I first detected it while I was shopping. But I hadn't the time to check. Let's see. Koji. he's. the disaster will take place. It's a long way back. It's. The disaster will happen. 1,000 years ago from the last Chinese New Year!" Sakura grasped her staff. Then. That's where we're headed! However. The Time Card can't send us that far back. It can't handle a thousand years. I know!"  
  
"O, card that Clow has made, I command you to lose your form and be born again under your new master, Sakura! RETURN! Return us to a month before the disaster in the Li family, 1,000 years ago!"  
  
The entire room lit up and the house shook. But in a flash, the five of them had vanished.  
  
A small river flowed through the forest. A small waterfall, a meter or two high, made enough noise to cover the sounds of the animals moving through the vegetation. All of this flashed with light before the entire group, consisting of Sakura, Syaoran, Tomoyo, Mia, and Kero, appeared in its midst.  
  
"Syaoran, how do you feel now?" Sakura was the first to speak. She immediately turned to the boy, who was lying in a patch of grass. His legs were back to normal, but he was terribly skinny, still. "Ah. I feel better." Syaoran said as he sat up, but his stomach let out a large growl. "Err. I guess I'm a little hungry, though." Mia laughed. "It's no wonder. Here, let me feel your head." She put the palm of her hand on Syaoran's forehead. "Hmm. no more fever. You'll recover just fine. But first, let's make you some food!" Tomoyo grabbed a measuring tape from her back pocket and measured his waist. "You must've lost at least 10 pounds. That's not healthy for someone your size to do so fast. We'll have to get you a lot to eat. Just lie down and relax. Don't do anything too strenuous." The boy lay back down. "Don't. don't worry about that. I'm losing energy, and fast. I. I can barely talk. I'm so tired."  
  
Sakura turned her head from her seated position of picking up wood for a fire. "Syaoran? If you're like that, and I know how it feels, just stay calm. We'll fill you up in a minute. This is serious." ".Okay. I will."  
  
A few minutes later, Mia cast a fire spell to light the campfire as Tomoyo began to boil water for her noodles. Kero flew back and forth with supplies to set up a camp for the night. "Hey, if I get camp finished, can I have some of that stuff you're cooking, too?" Tomoyo smiled. "Of course! There will be enough to go around." "Yay! Wahoo! I'll hurry then!" Sakura paid no attention to this. She had Syaoran's head in her lap. She just gently moved her fingers through his messy hair. She stared into his eyes. Even if his stomach was empty, to her, his eyes seemed full of life. Her cheeks reddened.  
  
Within 15 more minutes, Tomoyo was pouring a spoonful of noodles into a bowl. She handed it to Sakura. "Syaoran, open wide. This will help you regain your strength." Sakura lifted Syaoran's head and gently helped him eat it, piece by piece.  
  
Mia sighed. "It's really kind of touching. Sakura would do anything for him, yet she doesn't even know it. Am I right, Tomoyo? Umm. Tomoyo?"  
  
The sounds of a recording camera came as Tomoyo's eyes sparkled from behind her camcorder. "My dear Sakura-chan, I must record your cuteness while feeding your beloved!" Mia fell to the ground upon seeing her.  
  
Kero patted his stomach in relief upon finishing his noodles. "Ah, that was great. I'm ready for a nice nap." Mia yawned as she nodded it agreement. "I'm beat. Running all the way back to Syaoran's place tired me out. But first, Sakura, how is Syaoran doing?" Sakura shushed her. "Shh! Syaoran's asleep." Sure enough, the boy had his eyes shut and was breathing gently. He rolled over in his sleep, his hand still in Sakura's. "You go to bed. I'll take Syaoran to our tent. I know I promised to sleep with you in your tent, Tomoyo, but Syaoran needs someone to watch over him during the night. I'd never forgive myself if something happened and I weren't there." Tomoyo frowned. "Well, if it's for Li." She smiled, "then I understand." Sakura smiled as well. "Then I'll see you in the morning." Mia and Tomoyo whispered, "Alright. Goodnight, Sakura."  
  
When everyone else was in his or her tent, Sakura noticed a Sakura tree nearby with lovely blossoms of pink. "Kawaii! They're so beautiful! I'll just take some for later." She picked a few off the branches. "Oh, right, Syaoran."  
  
"O, card that Clow has made, I command you to lose your form and be born again under your new master, Sakura! MOVE! Put Syaoran in his tent!"  
  
Syaoran was gently pushed into his tent. Once she had him in the tent, she gently placed him on the ground and rolled a sheet onto him to keep him warm. Instinctively, she bent down and kissed him on the forehead. Even in his sleep, Syaoran reddened and rolled over. A few seconds later, "HOE! What am I doing?" She quickly covered her mouth to make sure she didn't say anything to wake Syaoran. "It. It was nothing." she whispered as she pulled up the same sheet Syaoran was under over herself. Her eyelids were heavy and it was not long before she, too, was asleep.  
  
The sound of conversation outside and the slightest beam of light peering through a small hole in the tent woke Sakura. As she stuck her head out through the hole in the tent, she saw Mia, Tomoyo, and Kero looking at something on a tree stump that had fallen due to lightning. As she got closer, she could tell it was a map. ".Okay, so, unless Japan had changed significantly in 1,000 years, which it hasn't, then this modern map should do just fine. From here, we-Oh, good morning, Sakura." Tomoyo turned towards Sakura, "Good morning, Sakura. Did you sleep well?" Sakura nodded. "Yes, thank you. What are you doing out here?" Kero put pins down on a few spots of the map and replied, "We're trying to find the best trail to take us to Hong Kong."  
  
Sakura stood silent for a second before it hit her. "HOEEEEE?! We're going WHERE?!" Mia replied, "Shhh! Li is. Anyway, of course we're going to China. That's where all of his ancestors are, right?" Sakura asked, "Wait, if we're going to China, why didn't we just take a plane to China before we went back in time?" Tomoyo had the answer to that question. "Because, I'm afraid he wouldn't have survived the journey. In fact, he wouldn't be alive now if you hadn't saved him by taking us all back in time." A sweat drop rolled down Sakura's head. "Oh. I see. I'm sorry, I forgot that part." "It's okay, Sakura. Besides, this gives me ample time to start making you some of my very own Chinese outfits along the way!" Sakura fell off the stump she was sitting on and onto the ground.  
  
Mia and Kero made the fire for cooking breakfast. Tomoyo prepared all the food. Sakura took a shower under the waterfall a mere 50 meters from camp.  
  
Breakfast was ready and Sakura returned, clad in a matching tan pleated skirt and short sleeved vest, for she had never had the chance before to change out of her cheerleading outfit from the day before. Also, Sakura had never brought any of her clothes along, but of course Tomoyo always had an emergency supply of clothes and material for making them for just such a situation. At that time, Syaoran emerged from the tent. "Good morning, everyone." Sakura smiled. "You're awake! You look so much better!" Syaoran smiled. "Thanks to you, of course. I'm still a little hungry, though." Tomoyo smiled as she poured a bowl of food for Syaoran. "Well, you still look like you're wasting away. We'll fill you up soon enough. Then, we can all bathe in the river, get some dry clothes, pack up camp, and be on our way. Kero and Mia already decided the best route."  
  
Syaoran quickly ate his breakfast while sitting on a stump. But halfway through it, he looked up and talked. "By the way, last night, I had the strangest dream. While I was asleep, I saw an angel lay me down and then she kissed me on the forehead. She had all of these Sakura blossoms around her. When I woke up, I had a Sakura blossom on my sleeping bag." Syaoran didn't notice Sakura's eyes shrinking or the sweat drop on her head. Mia pondered. "Li, could it be a premonition? Like maybe you'll meet an angel or something? What do you think, Sakura? You have these dreams, too." Sakura shook her head furiously and waved her arms. "It. It means nothing! Nothing at all! I'll bet that's what it is! Nothing! Err. you know, Syaoran, why don't you go take a bath? Here, let me show you where it is!" "Hey- wait a min-"  
  
It was too late. Sakura was pushing the boy against his will towards the stream. A sweat drop rolled down each of the remaining group member's heads. "What was that all about?" Kero asked.  
  
A half hour later, Syaoran was returning, dressed in a green short-sleeved shirt and brown jeans. He was still drying his hair with a towel. The girls and Kero were packing everything. They loaded up all of the supplies into their backpacks and carried them off. Mia was the lead, carrying a map and compass. "According to my directions, to reach our destination, we'll need 5 days of walking southwest from here. Then, well, I have a plan, and we'll discuss it when we arrive, alright?" They all agreed.  
  
The next four days went on without much event. They had the bare minimum of supplies, but thanks to Tomoyo's clothes, Sakura's Create Card to make extra supplies, Mia's magic spells, and Syaoran's hunting, they had plentiful food and clothes. Also, Syaoran had seemingly returned to just about normal. He was still thin, but barely any thinner than he used to be.  
  
However, on the fifth day.  
  
Sakura sat up against a tree and took off her shoes so she could wiggle her toes. "Ahhh, that feels great. How long have we been walking, Mia?" "This is the 5th day. If my calculations are correct, we will only have one more. huh?" Mia spread away some of the vines and leaves in the way of the path. "Wait, we're here! This village is right where I thought it would be!" Sakura put her shoes back on. "Really? Let me see!" She rushed over to where everyone else stood.  
  
There was a small village with houses of stone. Smoke rose from a few holes on the roofs. Mia looked at the waterfront and spotted a small pier. "Aha! That's where we're going! Follow me."  
  
The entire group walked silently through the village as not to attract any attention. When the reached the water, Li asked, "What are we doing here?" Mia hopped onto the docks. "Look!" She pointed to a sturdy-looking boat. "That's how we're getting to China." "WHAT?" Sakura screamed. "We can't steal a boat! That's wrong!" Mia smiled. "Don't think of it as stealing, just 'borrowing with no intention of returning.'" Sakura shook her head. "No! There has to be a way. Why don't I use the Fly Card and Kero can transform and we can both carry everyone over this lake?" Mia blinked and stared vacantly at her. "Umm. lake? Sakura, you don't seem to understand. This isn't a lake. This is an ocean. First of all, there's no way you and Kero could hold the three of us and all of our luggage." Kero added, "My back hurts just thinking about it." "Anyway, the second thing is that it's too great a distance. It would take two days and a half to fly across. China is still a long way away. Do you think you could fly that long and not fall asleep?" Sakura had no reply. "Exactly. We need this boat."  
  
"HEY! YOU! STOP!"'  
  
Suddenly, the group found themselves surrounded by native villagers. "Who are you, and what are you doing with the boat of the Great Goddess?" Kero hid in Tomoyo's hair. "Great Goddess?" Sakura asked. "Yes," the apparent leader of the village people stated. "It is said that one day, a Great Goddess that watches over our village would come for a boat. The Great Goddess would be in the body of a small girl, followed by her escorts. That night, there would be a great storm and the Goddess would then call the storm away. Then we are to give the boat to her so she can cross the waters back to watch over us again. It's a blessing to our lands if we fulfill this." Tomoyo smiled. "Do not worry, for we weren't going to take your boat. You see." she pointed to Sakura, "here is your Goddess!"  
  
"HOEEEEEEEEE! TOMOYO!" Everyone fell to the ground.  
  
"That's right, the young girl you see before you has come for this boat to cross the waters and bring a blessing to you all! Look at her! She's so cute, charming, and wonderful, just like any Great Goddess!" The leader thought hard for a minute. "Well, that does make sense. We shall wait until tonight. If there is no storm, or you are unable to call the storm off, we shall have to execute you for lying and fraud. Now, guards, you may take our guests to their rooms. Let none of them come out until there is a storm."  
  
A minute later, they sat inside the largest of the village houses. There was not much to the house. Besides three beds, which meant Sakura and Tomoyo had to share one (To make up for Sakura staying with Syaoran as Sakura felt guilty), there was not anything else. As soon as Mia sat on her bed, she asked, "Tomoyo, what were you thinking? Now we're all going to be executed in the morning for heresy!" Tomoyo giggled. "Oh, no we're not. There's going to be a storm tonight, and Sakura is going to clear it up!" "Hoe?" Tomoyo walked over to Sakura and whispered in her ear. "Do you like the plan?" Sakura nodded. "Great! Then let me go get your outfit! You'll need it if you want to be a Goddess!" Her eyes sparkled. "Just think, for once, Sakura will be a real Goddess." Sweat drops rolled down everyone else's heads.  
  
"It's 7:46 p.m." Syaoran read his digital watch. "Okay, Sakura, you've got the outfit, you have your staff, and it's nightfall. Let's go to phase one." Sakura nodded.  
  
"O, card that Clow has made, I command you to lose your form and be born again under your new master, Sakura! STORM! Create a raging storm over this village!"  
  
The rumble of thunder was heard overhead. It continued to get louder and louder until it was deafening. Rain poured down onto the roof until it was almost as loud as the thunder. Great flashes of lightning lit up the entire room for brief instances.  
  
A guard ran into the room. "A storm! Does that. could you. err. Right this way, my Lady, please, show us your powers."  
  
Sakura stepped out into the storm. Bright flashes of lightning revealed the outfit Tomoyo had given her. It was a white ball gown with two large, clear wings on the back. She had a small tiara made of Sakura blossoms she had picked earlier. "The image of a Goddess for one who will play a Goddess." That was Tomoyo's design idea, but everyone else wondered more of where she got the material.  
  
As Sakura walked to the waterfront, the other villagers gather around the temporary hut of Syaoran, Tomoyo, Mia, and Kero.  
  
When Sakura reached the waterfront, she was too far in the distance and it was far too dark for anyone to see what she was doing. But with every flash of lightning, they saw her lift her Staff into the air. Suddenly, the thunder and lightning ceased. Then the rain slowly stopped. Within a matter of seconds, the clouds disappeared as well. A rainbow stretched across the sky. Rainwater dripped off the leaves of trees. The grass gleamed in the protruding sunlight. A heavy mist hung in the air alongside a gentle breeze.  
  
There was total silence. The villagers stood in awe. She had done it. Suddenly the village erupted in cheer. "She is truly our Goddess!" "She has done it!" "Blessings are upon our village!" "A feast! We need a feast, for it is a great day for us all!" They entire village, around 100 or so people, hoisted Sakura onto their shoulders.  
  
"Wait, the God! Where is the Goddess without her God?" "He's right!" "Wait, isn't that him?" "Yes! Who else could it be?" The villagers pointed to Syaoran before hoisting him up as well. Tomoyo and Mia followed close behind.  
  
They were all taken to a meeting hall where, apparently, many villagers were quickly preparing a variety of foods. Before they could all even figure out what was going on, all the food they could eat was placed before them. Sakura happily dug in, though. "Yum! This is delicious. Of all of these adventures we've had, this has to be one of my favorite parts!"  
  
Syaoran sat puzzled. He still didn't know what was going on. "Ex-excuse me. What exactly is going on?" A villager stared back and bowed. "F-forgive us, O Great God and Goddess. We didn't fully explain. You have proven the legends to be true. And, it is also said that traveling with the Goddess would be her God husband." Sakura and Syaoran's faces turned bright red. "Err. husband and wife?" They both stared at each other and their eyes shrunk. "Uh. umm. of course!" Syaoran embarrassingly wrapped his arm around Sakura. "I. err. could never forget my dear. w-w-wife!" Sakura tried to do the same. "Well, of course I go everywhere with my husband! We're never apart!"  
  
For the entire meal, their faces were red just from the thought of it. Once they finished they set out. The villagers walked them to the docks, where they loaded up the group's luggage. The village leader bowed to them. "Thank you, for blessing our village, O Great Goddess. We hope to see you again." Sakura and the rest bowed too. "We shall be sure to. ummm. watch over your village for eternity."  
  
Tomoyo leapt from the boat and whispered to the village leader. He nodded and Tomoyo got back in. "What was that all about?" Mia asked. Tomoyo giggled. "You'll see one day."  
  
Mia pushed the boat off the dock and it floated away from dock until they were out of sight from the land. Mia placed a foot on the head of the boat. "Alright, we have supplies, our weapons, and our luggage. Now, TO CHINA!"  
  
Life is but a dream. 


	19. Yelan's Fan

New chapter time! However, I apologize for my lack of writing skill. This is mainly a transfer chapter.  
  
Chapter 19- Yelan's Fan (Note: means it's translated from Chinese)  
  
The water was completely still as Sakura and friends floated gently away on the ocean. Sakura looked up from her nap and asked, "How long has it been since we left shore?" Mia woke up dazed. "I'd estimate. about 18 hours." Syaoran leaned over the side of the boat and sighed. "And HOW long did you say it would take to get to Hong Kong?" "I said it would take about 4 days. That's to reach shore. Then we have about 5 or so day's worth of travel on land. Besides that, it'll take us a few days to locate the target." Tomoyo sighed as well. "At this rate, we might be too late once we arrive. Isn't there anyway to go faster?"  
  
Sakura stood up. "I got it!" The necklace she wore hung down was soon in her hands.  
  
"O, Key that holds the Power of the Stars. Reveal your true form to me! RELEASE! O, card that Clow has made, I command you to lose your form and be born again under your new master, Sakura! WAVE!"  
  
Nothing happened. "Hoe? What's going on?" Sakura was puzzled. Mia scratched her head and said, "Maybe the sea air doesn't agree with your magic. ugh?"  
  
The water around the boat began to rock and stir. "Then again, maybe the spell just needed time!" Mia corrected herself.  
  
Suddenly, the small boat was lifted into the air and moved at a tremendous speed. "What's going on? Why are we flying? I thought you used Watery!" Tomoyo yelled. "It's Watery all right!" Syaoran said as he looked over the side. "We're riding a giant wave!"  
  
The giant wave carried their boat at tremendous speeds forward. Mia laughed in delight. "Hold everything down so no supplies fall out. But even if they fall, we'll reach shore in no time! Maybe in an hour! This is wonderful!"  
  
The boat cruised on the Watery Card's power for an hour or so. Everyone had sat down to avoid getting blown over by the wind. "How fast do you think we're going?" Syaoran asked. "I have no clue," answered Mia, "but we should be there in-"  
  
CRASH!  
  
The boat was smashed into oblivion as it crashed into land. Syaoran, Tomoyo, and Mia lay face down on the sand of the beach. Mia lifted her head. "Ugh. We'll arrive any minute." Tomoyo sat up. "Are you all okay?" Syaoran pushed himself up and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Hey, where's Sakura?" "And Kero?" Mia added.  
  
"Oof! Up here!"  
  
The three of them looked up to see Kero flying down from a tree. "Sakura's up there!" Immediately afterwards, a body fell from the tree, splashed into the water and washed up onshore. "Err. Well, she WAS up there." Syaoran rushed to Sakura and flipped the girl over. "Are you alright?!" Sakura's eyes spiraled around. "Y-yes, I'm. I'm okay, Tomoyo." "Err. I'm Syaoran." Sakura shook her head and got back to her senses. "Oh, I'm sorry. But I have some good news! While stuck in that tree, I saw a giant city up ahead! It could be Hong Kong! I haven't been there since I won that contest." (Author's Note: See the First CCS Movie)  
  
Syaoran picked up a bag of supplies and put it on his back. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" His stomach rumbled. Sweatdrops rolled down everyone's heads. "Umm. maybe we'd better camp out and eat, first. It has been almost 20 hours since our last meal, and it is almost noon." Sakura's stomach growled in agreement. "Good idea."  
  
As Sakura boiled the water to make the meal, Syaoran emerged from the bushes, dressed in his traditional Li clan robes. "Huh? Syaoran, I thought you only wore that when there was a card to be captured or a card to transform," Tomoyo observed. "Normally, yes, but this was my only outfit that wasn't soaked during the shipwreck. "Oh, I see. All of ours were soaked, though, so we have nothing to change into for a while. That's why some nice, hot, soup may warm us up," Sakura noted. Once Tomoyo finished cutting up all the vegetables and putting them into the pot, everyone sat back and relaxed for a while, trying to get over being in a cramped boat for so long. Syaoran sat on a tree branch. Sakura and Tomoyo sat side by side on the beach, barefoot, and let the water of the tide hit their feet. Mia leaned up against another tree and took a nap while Kero-chan napped on top of her soft, blonde hair.  
  
A few minutes later, Tomoyo got up and started to pour the soup into makeshift wooden bowls. Everyone was relieved to finally get something warm in his or her stomach. After they'd devoured all of Tomoyo's cooking, they all gave a sigh of relief and fell backwards onto the sand. "Ah, that was great," Kero exclaimed, "let's just set up the tent and go to sleep." Sakura looked over to the little yellow beast. "But Kero, it's only noon or so." Kero nodded. "Yeah, I know, but I don't think any of us slept well last night. Why don't we-"  
  
CLANG!  
  
An arrowhead crashed into the ground next to Sakura's head. "HOEEEEEEE!" Everyone scrambled for cover. "Who is attacking us?" Mia asked. "I have no idea! I can't see anyone!" Syaoran replied as he jumped behind a rock on the beach. Then there was silence. Syaoran dared not peek and see what happened until he heard, "Here they are! We've captured them!" Then he heard Sakura pleading. "What are you saying? We don't speak Chinese! We don't know what we've done, but we're sorry!"  
  
Syaoran grabbed the pendant around his neck and summoned his sword. He didn't know who those men were, but they were speaking Chinese. "Leave them alone!" Syaoran screamed back in Chinese. He spotted three men with swords and bows aimed at Sakura, Tomoyo, and Mia, who were trapped at the side of a tree. At once, the guards spotted Syaoran and dropped their gear. "Ah, those clothes. They are of the Li clan, of that I am sure. Tell me, are these friends of yours?" Syaoran nodded. "Yes, they are traveling with me. Why have you captured them?" The three men bowed in respect. "We apologize. For you see, a great wedding is to be held in the family of the Li clan. The daughter of Li Feimei and Li Yokusuka, Aer-ling, is to be married! However, we received an unsettling threat. A note by a man of the name 'Koji' threatened to disrupt the wedding and kill the bride and groom. We thought he or she might have been one of these three. We saw you crash from a distance."  
  
"KOJI!" Sakura exclaimed. "I don't know Chinese, but I heard Koji!" Syaoran turned to her. "He says there is going to be a marriage, but a threat from Koji has come." Syaoran focused on the men again. "My name is Li Xiao Lan. I'm after the very same man you are. My friends and I have been chasing him for a long time. We have reason to believe he's come here to Hong Kong."  
  
The apparent leader of the three men smiled. "Ah, that is wonderful to hear. Come, you and your friends, Li Xiao Lan. You shall be staying at the guesthouse for the wedding. I was unaware of any Li with the name Xiao Lan, but those robes can only be of the Clan, and no Li would fall in battle and leave them intact, so you must be of the blood. This also means you and your friends must be great warriors, so. Ah, never mind. It shall have to wait until we reach the house. It's still quite a long walk. We want to get there before sunset. Come. Let's make haste."  
  
As the party walked up the side of a tall hill towards the city of Hong Kong, Syaoran explained everything to them. ".And they seem to have some kind of deal in store for us if we go to the house." Sakura asked, "Is that wise to accept a deal we don't even know what it is?" Mia shook her head in disagreement. "From what I gather, accepting the offer, no matter how bad, is the only way to get into the house for a long enough time to protect the bride and groom from Koji."  
  
As they reached the top of the hill, the city of Hong Kong appeared. Sakura squealed in delight. "It's so pretty! Look at all those beautiful buildings and statues! I bet it would look even better if we had seen it from the port. We could have come in through there instead of crashing here." Tomoyo got a shot of it with her video camera while the three Chinese men weren't looking. "Yes, it's really a splendid view. But even for a thousand years in the past, it's a giant city."  
  
They moved in closer to the city as the sun began to set. The buildings continued to grow in size as they approached it. When they finally entered the city, it seemed almost ten times the size it had appeared on the hill. "Wow! It's even more beautiful close up!" Sakura exclaimed, "but how are we going to find the house? The city is huge!" Syaoran replied, "Don't worry. It may be a thousand years in the past, but I at least know where my house should be." Mia stared vacantly away from the group. "Mia, what are you looking at?" Sakura asked. "I think. I've found. the house." She pointed straight down the road through the city. Everyone turned to see where she was pointing.  
  
Sakura's eyes shrunk. "HOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEE! That's larger than the rest of the entire city!" Sakura, Kero, and Mia fell to the ground. Sakura turned to Tomoyo. "That's even bigger than your house!" Tomoyo shook her head. "No, I don't think so. Our houses are about the same size and our estate stretches on for a bit more, but that's not important." A sweat drop rolled down both Syaoran and Mia's head as they listened to Tomoyo.  
  
A minute later, they all reached the gate of the house; one of the guards who had found them ran to them. He spoke to Syaoran in Chinese through the gate. Then he opened it for them. Syaoran seemed in a state of shock.  
  
"What's wrong?" Tomoyo asked. "You seem upset, Li."  
  
Syaoran turned around with a scowl on his face. "Koji was here already! He stole a precious heirloom! Without it, no marriages can be held! And if this marriage doesn't take place, I'm not going to exist! Also, the heirloom. It's my mother's fan!"  
  
Love and Peace! -Vash the Stampede 


	20. Aerin

Gomen nasai! I got this chapter out SO late, but it took a lot of thinking and planning. Please, forgive me.  
  
Chapter 20- Aerin  
  
(Note: means translated from Chinese)  
  
(Author's note: Before I begin, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my editor and one of my best friends of all time, Aerin, who has been a true inspiration and help throughout this story! ::hugs her:: Arigotou gozaimasu! It wouldn't be possible without you!)  
  
"HOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEE," Sakura exclaimed! "Your mother's fan? The one she used to cast spells when we went to Hong Kong before? It's stolen?" Syaoran nodded, but he didn't let anyone see his eyes. He just stared at the ground; his fists clenched. "Dammit! Dammit all!" He got down on his knees. "That isn't just some ordinary fan. It's as important in using magic to whoever it currently belongs to as your staff is to you, Sakura." Sakura looked at her Clow Staff, which she was still holding and had never bothered to put away after they had crashed onto the beach.  
  
"But. I can't do anything without my staff, really." "Exactly my point. What's worse, as they said, the wedding cannot take place if there is no fan. And Koji said he was going to go after the bride and groom in a threatening note. If there is no wedding or if the bride and groom are murdered, not only will I never exist, but neither will the rest of my family!"  
  
Sakura scratched her head. "Umm. why do you need this fan to hold a wedding?" "Because. because it's tradition. In our family, we never abandon tradition of any kind. The fan was a centerpiece in the very first Li Clan marriage, and it has been in every single one ever since." Sakura sighed. "I'm not sure I completely understand. but I'll help you find it!" "Me, too!" Tomoyo and Mia chimed in together. "Even I'll lend a hand. After all, this is a part of Clow Reed's family." Kero added. The young Li looked up and smiled slightly. ".Thank you." Sakura smiled back. "Don't thank us. After all, you've saved my life TWICE already. Actually, three times, considering I *WAS DEAD* already and you still managed to save my life. That doesn't include the times during our first adventure. The times you saved me from Sadin's minions. It's the least I can do."  
  
Syaoran blushed upon hearing Sakura's generous words. "That's really kind of you. I. err. I'll see if I can get you all some separate rooms." Sakura shook her head. "No, I wouldn't want to be a burden. We'll share a room."  
  
Syaoran's face reddened. "Share.?" Thoughts of just the two of them having a room to themselves filled his head. "Yep! We'll share a room. Just you. Myself." Syaoran became pure crimson. ".Tomoyo, Mia, and Kero." Syaoran fell backwards and his face slowly returned to its normal hue. "Err. oh, that's what you meant."  
  
Sakura may have been oblivious to what Syaoran meant, but Tomoyo wasn't. She could see exactly what he had been hinting at. She giggled quietly to herself. "Time to get them together to see something kawaii!" "Hoe!" Sakura exclaimed, turning towards Tomoyo. "Did you say something?" Tomoyo shook her head. "No, I was just thinking. Sakura, you don't want to be a bother and you want us to share a room. Syaoran, you want us to be comfortable in separate rooms. So, let's compromise. Mia, Kero, and I will share one room, and you two will share another room, okay?" Sakura nodded. "That sounds great! But. I would have figured you would want to be in my room." Syaoran just stood a meter or so back and turned red once more. "I would like to stay with you," Tomoyo explained, "but, you see, I have a very special surprise in store for you both, and I don't want to ruin it!"  
  
Syaoran finally built up enough courage to say something. "You know, maybe we should go inside before we decide on all of this." Sakura laughed. "I guess you're right. I also suppose I should put my staff away before someone sees it and realizes my power." Syaoran shook his head. "Don't bother." "Why not?" "Well, you see, my family is filled with magic in every generation. You saw it yourself with my mother. All of my family is like that. My ancestors will be able to sense you have the powers whether or not you hide it."  
  
A door to the house was flung open. "Are you all coming in, or is something wrong?" One of the guards called out to them. Syaoran replied, "We're coming, we were just. making sure we had all of our equipment from before!" The boy pushed the gate open. "Well, let's go. If you need me to translate anything for anyone, just ask."  
  
The front door was quite far from the gate. Along the way, they passed a great number of statues and fountains. Sakura blossoms floated down from giant cherry trees in the gentle breeze. They spiraled around the bright sun over the lush green hills. Over in one corner of the house was a small temple where the clan met to worship their ancestors. It was just a small red building with a black spiraling rooftop. The front door was a huge one, at least 3 meters tall and covered in all kinds of decorations. Sakura reached for the door, but it opened before she could even touch it. "Ah, I was informed of your arrival. And I take it, you are the young Li the guards have found." She bowed to Syaoran. "It's always an honor to serve a Li, even one I do not know personally. Please, follow me." It was a young chambermaid, probably no older than any of them. She had long black hair to her back and deep green eyes.  
  
Sakura stared around the main hall as the girl led them to wherever it was they were being led to. Swords, paintings, antiques; all hung from the walls. The house was like a maze to them, even Syaoran. They had no idea where they were going. Eventually, after minutes of walking, they reached a small door at the end of a large hall. The chambermaid knocked and slowly opened the door. "Excuse me, Aer-ling-sama? They're here. Would you like me to bring them in? I see. Just call if you need any assistance, and I shall come at once." She turned towards the group of heroes. "Welcome to the Mistress' rooms. Come on in."  
  
As the door opened, they gazed inside in awe. "It's beautiful!" Mia exclaimed. Inside was a crimson canopy bed, exquisite Chinese pottery, fine calligraphy, and more. It was all there. At the other end of the room was a glass doorway onto a balcony. When the group stepped into the room, the door shut and the chambermaid left.  
  
"Come out here, onto the balcony," a voice cried out in Japanese. They slowly walked across the room and opened the glass doors. There was a breathtaking view of the ocean from there, as the waves crashed onto the shore in the distance and the sun glared off the water.  
  
"Hello," the voice came again. They all looked to their left, and at a small table with a tea kettle on it was a beautiful woman clad in Chinese formal wear. She had deep, green eyes, with long brown, almost dirty- blonde, hair to her waist. Overall, she had a quaint look to her. Very innocent, like the face of a child. She wore a red sleeveless dress with a symmetrical rose-pattern going up the middle of the dress and spreading to the rest of the dress. Long slits went from her delicate feet up each leg to her hip. The girl stood up and introduced herself.  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Li Aer-ling. But I never liked that name, really. You may call me simply Aerin." Sakura stepped forward and bowed. "It's an honor to make your acquaintance. We are-" "Don't worry, there's no need to introduce yourselves. I know all about you. You are Sakura Kinomoto, and you currently hold the Clow Cards, am I right?" Everyone's jaws dropped. Sakura could only stutter. "H-h-how d-did you kn- know that?" Aerin smiled mysteriously. "Moving on, you are Tomoyo Daidouji, a great friend to Sakura, and you are Mia Stryfe, an aide and trusted friend as of recently. Last, but not least, Li Xiao Lan, or better known as Syaoran or Shaoran to your friends. You, too, are gifted with special powers." No one knew what to say. "Oh, I almost forgot." She quickly reached into Tomoyo's bag and pulled out a rather shocked Kero-chan. "You, if I'm not mistaken, are Keroberos, the guardian of the Clow Book." Kero growled. "How did you know? But no matter how you know, put me down!" Aerin put the tiny beast down next to a platter of sweets on the table. "Help yourselves to these sweets I made."  
  
A minute later, everyone sat down around the table and gazed at the ocean view. It was quite splendid. "Allow me to explain. You see, everyone in the Li clan has special magical powers. Xiao Lan here, is an example," she said as she pointed to Syaoran. "I, however, was born with powerful psychic abilities. I can sense things shortly before they happen and I can tell you anything about anyone, even before I meet them. But only if they are very powerful, very close to me, and not trying to stop me. However, one thing I never predicted was that I would fall so deeply in love so suddenly. I met the most wonderful man." Aerin's cheeks reddened. "He's sweet, kind, generous, sensitive, handsome. Sometimes, it almost makes me wonder why he ever proposed to ME." Sakura put her teacup down. "Don't say that! You look beautiful!" Tomoyo smiled. "And I can tell you're a very intelligent girl, just by the way you speak." Kero shoved a giant cookie into his mouth and swallowed. "And you're a great cook, too!"  
  
A tear rolled down Aerin's cheek. "Thank you. that means a lot. OH! I'm so sorry! I forgot to tell you why you're here. Ummm. I shouldn't say that. You already know why you're here. Koji. I know you've been chasing him. I know of it all. However, I feel that there's nothing you can do now." Mia put her teacup down. "That's not true. We've beaten him before, and we'll beat him again." Aerin shook her head. "No. It's. too late. Koji has stolen the Li clan's most priceless heirloom, the fan made by our ancestors. Without it, I shall never marry my sweet love. I fear it may already have been destroyed. I've learned of true love at 17, and I've lost it already. If that is the case, I. I shall never marry. All because of that Koji! My sweet Takumi. I. I." Aerin could take it no longer and burst into tears.  
  
Sakura stood up and could feel anger in her very blood. "Aerin, don't you worry. We'll catch Koji and make him pay for what he has done! And if possible, we'll save that fan! Koji has gone too far, this time!" Kero nodded. "He's really starting to get on my nerves, too!" Tomoyo looked toward Sakura and smiled. "Wherever Sakura goes, I follow." "Me, too." Mia added. Syaoran frowned. "I'm not going to let some evil demon destroy my family." Aerin wiped a tear from her eye. "Thank you. I have to admit; even I didn't see so much bravery inside your hearts. But. my mind. I. I just haven't been able to think, lately. I think. Koji. he has something with him. It's messing with my powers. I can barely think. Reading minds of people nearby is easy, but. Koji has made doing more than that impossible. Granted, my powers aren't even that great. I can't see too far into the future. I could only know so much about all of you since you were in the room with me. But don't worry about that. Come, let's all go inside and I'll have my chambermaid show you to your two rooms."  
  
On the rooftop just over their heads, just after the group went inside.  
  
"Heh. It works. Those damn fools will never see me coming." Koji held out a glowing black stone. "A Stone of Stealth. With these stones, they can't detect me at all. That Aeris-Lang or whatever her name is couldn't detect me now if I were a meter behind her as long as I have this stone with me at all times! And with that giant stone just like this on the very roof of the mansion, their powers are so limited that none of them could sense the world's largest ball of magic energy if it were in their face! Now, I can pick them off, one by one." He fanned himself off with the prized heirloom. "Maybe I'll relax for a while though; this fan has potential." He gave an evil cackle leaping down, over the patio, and disappearing before he could land in the sea.  
  
Sakura fell backwards onto her bed and stretched. "Ah, this feels so wonderful. Nice and soft. It beats trying to sleep on a hard wooden boat for 18 hours." Aerin smiled. "I'm glad you like it." Sakura laughed. "I am, too, because I may have to be here for a while. This place is a maze! I'd probably never find my way out!" Their gracious host chuckled. "It's quite simple, really. You'll get a feel for the design in no time. Walk around, and if you get lost, just ask a servant to take you to the north end. My room is the next-door down on the right and your friends are to the left. You can stop by anytime you need." Syaoran sat down in a plush chair. It was too soft and he fell a little too far into the chair. "Ummm. Well, where is the rest of your family? And your fiancé?" Tomoyo and Mia and Kero walked into the room. "Hello! Did we miss anything?" Kero asked. Sakura shook her head. "Sit down. She was about to tell use what happened."  
  
Aerin sat down at a desk. "Takumi." He face reddened. "My fiancé. He isn't here. He's back at his home in the city. The whole family has been uptight ever since the threatening note arrived. And when the fan was stolen. Actually, it was stolen a while ago. It was just. such a shock to some of the elders that they tried to keep the fact that it was gone hidden until a servant found it was gone today. But Takumi knew right away. He wasn't so easily fooled. He vowed to catch the thief and bring him to justice, but the elders knew it was too dangerous, and with our wedding so close. The elders couldn't risk him being injured. So, they sent him back to his house in the village. They figured Koji would look for him here, first."  
  
Syaoran asked, "But if he'd look for you two here, first, why are you still here?" "I was getting to that. Anyway, I'm still here because the house is completely sealed off by guards. You met some of them." A sweat drop rolled down Sakura's head. "I still have an arrowhead in my backpack to prove that." Aerin laughed, trying to cover her embarrassment. "Umm. yes, the guards did get a bit carried away. But it's all right. The thing is, though, until Takumi and I are married, he's not allowed to live here. So, they sent some of the best of our guards to his house to guard him. However, the guards are cocky, and they drink everyday. They drag him down to this little bar in the city. It's for guys only. So, I can't visit him there. I think he'll be fine, though. The rest of my family is scattered about the house, trying to concentrate on finding Koji. But like my powers, theirs are failing." Syaoran nodded. "So, that's how it is."  
  
CRASH! A noise came from Aerin's room. Everyone rushed back to her room.  
  
A rock had crashed through the window and lay on the bed. Syaoran quickly picked it up and noticed that a note was attached. He unfolded it and read it aloud. "'Dear you pathetic meddlers, I shall make my strike TONIGHT. But with my new plan, I'm invincible. I write this as a warning. Leave now, or face certain death. I won't say when or where I'll strike, but I will. You may be sure I will. Leave now. -Koji.'"  
  
Mia snarled. "The dirty bastard! This is going to be extremely hard for us. Koji never said WHO he would go after." Aerin began to tremble. "I. I'm. I'm scared!" She bent down and started to shake. Sakura turned to her and declared boldly, "Don't worry, nothing will happen to you, because we'll ALL be here." Aerin smiled faintly. "Thank you. but. really, I'm not worth the trouble. After all, I don't even have my powers. I couldn't even see that rock coming." Tomoyo put her hands on Aerin's chin to look her straight in the eyes. "Aer-ling, please, don't be like that. You're definitely worth a lot. To tell you the truth." Tomoyo whispered quietly to Aerin. But she stopped to point at Sakura and Syaoran. Aerin sniffled. "You. mean it? That's really true? I mean, I knew that, it was obvious, but." Tomoyo interrupted. "It's true. Just have more faith in yourself!" Aerin gave off a heartwarming smile. "Alright, I will!"  
  
Mia whispered to Tomoyo, "What did you tell her?" The sly girl replied, "I just told her that it's her family that made half of such a cute couple over there!" Mia giggled, too. "You may be sweet and innocent, Tomoyo, but you can certainly be crafty!"  
  
"Wait!" Aerin suddenly spoke up. "Umm. I don't think you can all be with me all the time. You see. Tonight is a special night in the Li clan. It's a special evening where all the women of the clan join together to talk and feast. I can't stay here or my mother and father will be ashamed that I disobeyed tradition. But if I tell them why I can't, it will start a giant panic! And if I just go, Koji might hurt someone there as well as me!" Everyone thought deeply. "Well. We need to let you go, and be here at the same time." Syaoran said. "But we'll also need someone to guard Takumi." Tomoyo snapped her fingers and laughed. "I know what we'll do!" She hurried out of the room and came back carrying a bag. "I made sure I always had these with us, just in case!" She opened the bag and revealed all the potions Syaoran had received as gifts from the potion dealer a while back.  
  
Syaoran's eyes widened and he said, "I don't like where this looks like it is heading." Tomoyo grabbed a potion. "Ah, here it is. First, we'll need a spare set of your clothes, Aerin. then, we have Syaoran drink this, and become a girl your age again! We dress him up like you and keep him here! Koji will never see the difference until it's too late!"  
  
Tomoyo turned to Syaoran, who had a death glare fixated on her. "Daidouji, if you think for one second that I will EVER become a girl again for ANY reason." A giant sweat drop rolled down Tomoyo's head and her pupils shrunk. "Err. I just meant that when you were a girl, you played the role so well, and we still need Sakura to use the Cards, so." Kero jumped in. "No, wait, that's a really great idea!" This didn't make the young Li happy either. "What are you saying?" Kero-chan shook his head. "No, that's not what I mean. After all, if you changed, who would guard Takumi? Listen, here's what we CAN do: Sakura, YOU drink that potion instead. Think about it, you and Aerin look a lot alike. With a few adjustments and Tomoyo's help, of course, you could look just like Aerin!" Mia pondered aloud. "Now that you mention it, they do look a little similar. I think that could work!"  
  
Kero boasted, "Well, it IS part of my plan. Of course it will work. Then, when Sakura is dressed like a Li, she can stay here with all of us while Aerin goes down to the feast, or festival or whatever you may want to call it." Aerin smiled. "That's a wonderful idea! Except. I see a few problems. First of all, who will be watching my fiancé? His life means so much to me. Also, no men will be allowed in the building, so, Xiao Lan will. umm. hey, where is he, anyway?"  
  
Everyone looked around, but the youngest Li was nowhere to be seen. "Where is the gaki?" Kero asked. "I don't see him anywhere, or the potion bag." Sakura said.  
  
The door to the room opened and a tall, dark figure entered. Everyone gasped. "Koji?!" However, Aerin's eyes lit up. "T-Takumi?!" She leapt into the air and wrapped her arms around the tall man. Kero lit a small candle by the door to shine some light on the couple. "Ok, Takumi, I missed you. so. YAAAAAAAH! YOU'RE NOT TAKUMI!" The bride-to-be jumped back from the arms of the stranger, whose face was a dark crimson. "Sakura, is. that Koji I just hugged?!" Sakura laughed. "No, that's Syaoran!" "Xiao Lan? Is that you?"  
  
Syaoran stepped forward. Again, he was in the body of a 17-year-old. "Yes, it's me. I could see where the conversation was headed. And the best idea would be for me to guard Takumi at the bar or at his house."  
  
Aerin stood up. "Wait a second." She ran her fingers through his hair. Syaoran turned red, just like before. "What are you doing?" The teenager asked. "You look so much like my fiancé! If I couldn't read minds at least, right about now, I would have sworn you were him. And that means. Wait, I have an idea! YOU can trade places with Takumi and guard him that way! Here, Just give this to him." Aerin wrote down something on a letter and handed it to him. "He'll believe you once he reads that." Mia laughed. "Brilliant! Koji will never see the difference!"  
  
By this point, Sakura had disappeared, too. "Hey, now where did that girl go?" Mia asked. Sure enough, the door opened again, and a thin and shapely figure walked in. "Well, how do I look?" Sakura asked in a somewhat deeper voice. Syaoran could only stare in awe. Tomoyo grabbed her camcorder as her eyes and the air around her became filled with twinkling stars. "Oh, my goodness, Sakura-chan, you're are so beautiful! From a graceful magical girl one moment to a sophisticated young woman the next!"  
  
Sakura blushed. "Umm. thank you, Tomoyo." She got a glance at Syaoran, and could only stare. He was still so handsome. "Err. ummm. You look. great, Syaoran." "I. umm.. thank you. I. guess. you. look great. as well." They both blushed.  
  
Tomoyo screamed. "Wait! One thing! I hate to interrupt this kawaii moment, but who is going to play you, Sakura? Koji will surely be suspicious if you're not around at all!" Aerin smiled. "Well, I know what would make you happy, Tomoyo. Why don't YOU dress up like Sakura to fool Koji?" Tomoyo's eyes sparkled. "Really? Will that work? ALRIGHT! Then there's no time to waste! I'll need all the clothes you can find! I'll need you two to get undressed and get ready to try on everything as fast as you can! It's time to make sure we not only trick Koji, but that we're going to do it looking great!"  
  
To be continued. 


	21. Incognito

Another chapter, but I'm afraid it's not much of one. Just a filler. But may I please request more reviews? It just lets me know how fast you want a new chapter and how many people are reading. Right now, it doesn't seem like that many.  
  
Chapter 21- Incognito  
  
(Note: means translated from Chinese. Only Aerin, Sakura, and Tomoyo, and Kero will speak Japanese. Kero and Aerin DO know Chinese, though.)  
  
"Hey, Tomoyo, hold on!" Sakura tried in vain to get the sparkly-eyed girl to calm down as she was pushed onto the bed. "There's no time for that! Aerin, do you have a closet of your clothes?" A sweat drop rolled down their gracious host's head. "Umm. yeah, over there. by the desk." Tomoyo smiled. In a flash, she went through the closet, grabbed everything she could carry and dropped it back on the bed. Tomoyo rolled up her sleeves as Syaoran, Mia, Kero, and Aerin could only watch and wonder.  
  
Sakura was completely dumbfounded. She had no idea what was going on. Tomoyo took a good look at Aerin, measured hers and Sakura's waists with some measuring tape (which Tomoyo kept with her at all times for just such an emergency), and chose the right outfit. "Here we go, Sakura!" "Hoe?" In the blink of an eye, Tomoyo got to work.  
  
Sakura's clothes fluttered threw the air as Tomoyo tossed them around. As Sakura's shirt floated down in front of Syaoran, he turned bright red. "AAAH!" The embarrassed boy turned around immediately to avoid seeing anything else. But this also made it hard to see the shoe that went flying and hit him in the back of the head, knocking him to the floor. Kero laughed at the young Xiao Lan until he was hit by the other shoe and crashed into the floor.  
  
"DONE!" Tomoyo stood back and let Sakura stand up. Syaoran lifted the blouse off his face and took a gander. His eyes widened. "Sakura? Is that really you?"  
  
The young Card mistress replied, "Umm. I think I'm me, but I'm not sure what just happened." Mia held up a mirror for Sakura, but she, herself, was a little shocked. When Sakura gazed into the mirror, her eyes shrunk. "HOEEEEEE! I'm not me! I'm Aerin!" Tomoyo giggled. "No, you just look identical to her. I used everything I had. Luckily, yours and Aerin's dimensions are nearly identical. Almost perfect in every way." Tomoyo's eyes began to sparkle once again. "Just think, how many girls are so lucky as to not only have a kawaii magical girl as a friend, but get to see her almost 6 or 7 years older? I have to get my camera!" Tomoyo ran to her bag and picked up her portable camcorder.  
  
A sweat drop rolled down Aerin-chan's head. "Sakura, is it just me. or do we look TOO identical?" Sakura sighed. "Well, Tomoyo did make me wear your clothes." Aerin shook her head. "that's not what I mean. What I mean is, besides the clothes, umm. well. Look in a mirror." The two girls stood side by side. The mirror image was shocking. There was almost no difference at all. At first glance, from their big green eyes, to the long, brown hair, and even their pierced ears, (which Sakura somehow manages to get when she ages) they were like twins. Neither girl knew what to say. They could only stare in silence. They weren't even related! But suddenly, an image appeared in the mirror, and whatever it was, it was right behind them. It was.  
  
"TOMOYO!" "Oh, I couldn't miss this moment! Sakura-chan and Aer-ling-chan together." Aerin just stared at the camcorder, trying to figure out what it was. "Ah, when I read her mind, I knew she loved those things, but I wasn't sure what they were. Now I know! They're some kind of weird eyeglass to help you see people better!" Aerin thought to herself.  
  
A sweat drop rolled down Sakura's head. "Umm. Tomoyo, uhhh. I think you don't have enough time for filming today." The black haired, blue-eyed girl looked back from her bag, confused. "Huh? Why not?" Aerin quickly tried to come up with a good excuse, but she wasn't very good at lying. "Because. ummm. err. I think what Sakura meant was. was." "It's time for your makeover!" Mia added, saving both Sakura and Aerin's skins. Tomoyo snapped her finger. "How could I forget? I get to look like you, Sakura-chan, a dream come true." "Well. ummm. how exactly are we going to do this? You don't really look very much like me. Your hair, eyes, and skin are all a different color." Tomoyo grinned. "Don't worry, I always carry around extra wigs, hair dye, contact lenses, makeup, and more, just in case." Everyone else fell to the ground in exasperation.  
  
Syaoran slowly walked to the door and opened it. "I'd. love to help with Tomoyo's makeover. But, I'd better go check on Takumi." Mia grabbed Syaoran by the arm. "Oh, no, you're not getting off THAT easily. If Sakura, Kero, Aerin, and I have to help Tomoyo with this, YOU'RE helping too!" The teenage heart breaker sighed. "Alright, I'll help. But I don't know if I can. I mean, look at what Tomoyo is doing now!" Mia turned around to see Tomoyo being measured by the identical-looking Sakura and Aerin. Mia turned back around. "I don't see anything w-" Syaoran was gone. "HEY! YOU COME BACK HERE, THAT'S UNFAIR!" Mia chased after the boy, but her 12-year-old legs just weren't long enough. The disappointed girl walked back to the room to help with Tomoyo. "Hmph. I can't believe I fell for that."  
  
Syaoran exited the front gates of the house and gave a deep sigh. "That was a close one. But I have to find Takumi and switch places with him. And I bet none of the girls want to go in a bar. Hell, I don't even want to. But I guess I have to do it. Now, where would that bar be?"  
  
The city was huge. It could literally take half a day to find anything if you didn't know where it was. And that was if you didn't get lost and had to retrace your steps. "Wait, maybe Aerin wrote its location on that letter she told me to give Takumi." The teen reached into his pocket and unfolded it. "Huh? This letter. makes no sense whatsoever. But. ah, in the corner, 'Hong Kong Tavern.' There's only one bar in Hong Kong in the present with that name. I wonder if maybe it was started all the way back here?" The boy pondered for a minute. He tried to recall the location of the shop. "If I remember correctly. the bar should be. half a kilometer if you take. a left from the gates. Yes, I remember now. I've seen it while walking through the streets." The road wasn't paved, but even in his mind, he knew the way as he walked to his goal.  
  
"Now, which shade do you think looks better?" "Hmm. I think the red shade looks better than the pink, but maybe the pink looks more natural." "Yeah, I always wear the pink. But what should we do about the hair? It's longer than mine."  
  
The three girls crowded around a starry-eyed Tomoyo, dressing her up as best as they could. "Oh, I can't wait to see myself! It's a dream come true!" Sakura put one hand on Tomoyo's shoulder. "Tomoyo, how do you think we can get your hair to be like mine? Or rather how mine used to look? Your hair is beautiful, but mine is a lot shorter. And you know your mother likes your hair long." Tomoyo sighed. "I know mother would never approve of me cutting my hair. It reminds her of your mother. But, I have plenty of wigs!" Tomoyo searched through a giant bag of differently colored wigs that was beside the bed. A sweat drop rolled down Sakura's now-long hair. "Umm. Tomoyo? I can understand the makeup, and the outfits, but how and why do you keep a bag of wigs with you?"  
  
"Aha! I found it!" Tomoyo curled her hair into a bun and hid it under the artificial headwear. "How do I look?" Tomoyo stood up and everyone clapped. "Almost perfect!" Kero replied. "Almost?" Tomoyo questioned. She was a near- perfect replica of Sakura in every way. "I have the special skin cream to make my skin as dark as Sakura's, the same hairstyle, the Chinese robes Sakura wore last time we came to Hong Kong, and even a painted model of the Key necklace. What's missing?" She held up a mirror. "Ah, I see." Tomoyo's eyes were still a deep, deep blue. Kero dived down into a bag of clothes and popped out with a small blue box. "Found them!" He floated over to the Sakura look-alike and handed her the box. Tomoyo popped the box opened and pulled out two contact lenses. She squinted one eye and dropped a contact in its twin. She did the same for the other. When she opened her eyes again, they were a flawless emerald green, just like Sakura's.  
  
"WOW! You look perfect!" said Sakura admiringly. Tomoyo looked in a mirror on the wall. "Oh, wow." She was nigh speechless. "I. don't know what to say. it's. a dream come true. KAWAII!" Mia asked, "Maybe you should tone down on the screaming like that. Koji will suspect something is wrong if you don't sound like Sakura." Tomoyo smiled. "Don't you worry. I've been practicing." "Hoe?" Sakura exclaimed. "Practicing?" The duplicate smiled. "Listen: 'We have to stop Koji no matter what! I won't let anyone get hurt!'" Tomoyo spoke so perfectly that even Sakura thought she was listening to herself. The girl's eyes shrunk. "How. did you do that, Tomoyo? You sounded exactly like me." The young look-alike giggled. "Well, you don't practice singing all of your life without picking up a few tricks. Now, let's hurry to our places before Koji arrives! Alright, Sakura? Oops, I mean 'Aerin'?" Sakura nodded and sat down on the bed. "I'll pretend to nap here, you wait outside, Mia will go with Aerin to the ceremony for all the Li women, and Kero will join up with Syaoran."  
  
Kero gnashed his teeth. "Hey, why am I going to have to follow the gaki?" Aerin sighed deeply. "We already explained this. The bar Takumi is probably at is MEN ONLY, except for maybe a waitress or two. Do any of us look like boys? Besides, you can probably find him in time, since you can fly and we're all too busy with other things." Kero growled again. "Alright, I'll do it, for all of you." The tiny beast flew out through the window that the message from Koji had broken. Tomoyo giggled. "Kero acts mean sometimes, but you can tell even he cares about Li-kun. Oh! We better get moving! We'll come in if we hear anything!" Tomoyo, Aerin, and Mia all left the room in a hurry.  
  
Sakura stared out the broken window. The sun was beginning to set. "I wonder how Li-kun is doing."  
  
"Hong Kong Tavern, huh? This must be the place." Syaoran stood before a large 2-story bar. It wasn't very classy. The sides were made of plain wood. The windows didn't even have glass. They were just wholes in the wall. Inside, the chanting and cheering of men could be heard in groups. "Ugh. Something tells me it's going to be a long night."  
  
The inside of the tavern was no better than the outside. Not much in the way of decoration. There was a table to the right of the entrance. It had five total drunkards sitting together, being as boisterous as possible. The rest of the tavern was filled with others, drinking away, but not quite as badly as the first table. "Ugh, it will take me forever to find Takumi. And he could be so drunk he can't even remember who he is."  
  
Syaoran saw a table with only one other person at it, a skinny boy around his age, and decided to have a seat. "Now, where should I start looking?" "So, what can I get you two gentlemen? A couple glasses of our finest wine? Maybe a tall glass of ale? We're the only bar in all of China to have them, you know. Imported from Europe. Ah, Li clan clothes? I'll make everything on the house, in that case, seeing as the clan owns this tavern." A waitress asked. "Oh, we're not together, but I'll just take a water," Syaoran said. "I'll have one as well," the stranger said. The waitress sighed. "Takumi, you know the guards are always going to drag you here, why not at least have some fun? Have a glass of something else for once. Ah, well, I'll go get those drinks." She bowed and returned to the counter.  
  
Syaoran turned around. "Takumi?" The boy stared back with big, brown eyes. "Have you heard of me?" Syaoran stood up. "My name is Li Xiao Lan. I've come here to bring you news about Aerin."  
  
"Aerin? How to do you know my wife-to-be? I mean, I've never even heard of you. And I thought I knew all of the Li clan!" "Let's talk about this outside, shall we?" Takumi shook his head. "I can't. The guards sent here to protect me won't allow it." A sweat drop rolled down Syaoran's head as he pointed to the first table of drunken idiots; a couple of them had even passed out. "You wouldn't happen to mean those alcoholics over there, would you?" Takumi let out a great sigh and shook his head slowly in shame. "Yes, those are them. Some elite guard. Let's go."  
  
Outside, there was better lighting in the sunset. They could both clearly see each other for the first time. "WHAT?!" They both exclaimed. "You look almost exactly like me!" It was true. From their dark brown eyes and hair, to their tall but skinny figure, they looked nearly identical, like twins. The only difference was that Syaoran seemed a few centimeters taller. Their clothes were quite different, though. Syaoran was still clad in the same outfit he'd always worn to capture Clow Cards or to help Sakura create a Sakura Card, only the outfit was larger to support his new age. Takumi wore an overly simple blue Chinese robe and nothing more, not even any shoes. It had a golden dragon on each side. But if it weren't for their height and their clothes, they would've looked like mirror images.  
  
"Well, enough about how we look. Why did you call me out here, Li. Xiao Lan, was it?" Syaoran pulled the note from his pocket and kept it in one hand. "We need to switch places." All was silent, except for the warm sunset breeze that flowed through their clothes and hair. "Switch. places? What do you mean by that?" Syaoran handed the baffled groom the letter he had been given.  
  
As soon as Takumi finished reading his letter, he blushed almost as badly as Syaoran usually does. "These. I mean. this. is the speech I used to. propose. No one could ever know about this. except. my sweet, sweet bride. Alright, Mr. Xiao Lan, I believe you. I'm not sure why you want to trade places with me, but I'll do whatever you tell me to."  
  
A minute later, Syaoran closed his new robes, handing over his usual clothes to Takumi. "Now, you know what to do when you get to the mansion, am I right?" Takumi nodded. "Don't worry, Koji won't suspect a thing. I know the plan. Now, you just go inside and pretend you're bored out of your mind. If you can do that, the guards will never notice the difference." Syaoran nodded, and they both set off.  
  
Aerin and Mia sat down at a long table of food, but their thoughts weren't on the succulent poultry, the ripe fruit, or the delectable desserts. Instead, they both stared up through a bright skylight, at the bright stars that began to show.  
  
Sakura was staring up into the night sky on the balcony, the same sky as Mia and Aerin. "It's such a beautiful night." Sakura said. "Almost as beautiful as-"  
  
"--My fair bride. I can't take it any longer. I will protect you! Koji, you won't lay a hand on her." It was Takumi, opening the gates to the Li Manor. He stared up one last time into the dusk sky. "The stars. they remind me so much-"  
  
"--Of my dear, sweet Sakura... So bright, so full of hope." Tomoyo was in the room next to Sakura, staring out the window in impatience. "I can't wait to show off my new look to everyone! But, I have to wait-"  
  
"-This out." Syaoran sat amongst the drunken fools in the bar. All of the guards sent to guard Takumi had passed out on the floor. Almost everyone else had left. Instead of sitting around and waiting for the guards to wake, the boy in disguise decided to wait outside. As he leaned against the wall outside, he looked up at the constellations. "You know, maybe this isn't so bad. It's a nice warm night, the stars are shining, and the breeze is blowing. But still, with all this time traveling, I hope this is the last-"  
  
"--Time you'll ever see a starlit night, my little friends." Koji snapped an ammo clip into a pistol. He was actually hovering in the air well above the Li Mansion. "At midnight tonight, it's the end of you all!"  
  
To be continued. 


	22. Tomoyo's Secret

I apologize for having this chapter out so late! GOMEN NASAI! I had a serious case of writer's block, but at the same time, too many ideas to implement. I'm really sorry. Plus, it took forever to fix all the plot holes, missing characters, and other various problems. I'll TRY to get the next chapter out, and hopefully make it better. GOMEN NASAI!  
  
  
  
Chapter 22- Tomoyo-chan's Secret  
  
(Japanese lesson: Hai- Yes) Takumi barged through the gates of the Li manor. "I'm coming, Aerin, my love!" He was still clad in Syaoran's clothes, basically looking identical to him. "Now where did Syaoran say she was again? Ah, I forget. I'll just have to check her room! I must find her!"  
  
A few minutes later, Sakura stretched her arms out wide, giving a giant yawn. She was lying on Aerin-chan's bed. "Ah, it feels nice to get a long rest after everything, even if I'm waiting to be attacked. Just me, a starlit night, a soft pillow, and-"  
  
"AERIN! I'M HERE!" Takumi barged through the door.  
  
"HOEE! Syaoran, what are you-" Takumi leaped at the shocked Sakura, who was beginning to stand up. But before she could get all the way on her feet, Takumi swept her off them. "Aerin, how I've missed you! Every minute has seemed like hours!"  
  
"Wait, what did he say my name was? I couldn't hear him. but why. Syaoran. is he.?" Her face turned red ever so slightly.  
  
"Aerin, I. I." Sakura was too shocked to hear or understand what was happening.  
  
Their lips met and they fell to the ground. "MPH!" Sakura screamed as her face went a mighty crimson. "Is he. does this mean Syaoran, could. he."  
  
The door slowly opened, and Tomoyo disguised as younger Sakura came in. "Is something wrong? I thought I. heard. a thud." Tomoyo's eyes shrunk to little dots, and in her best Sakura imitation. "HOEEEEE!" She dropped the camcorder in her hand and stood in shock. (Though the camera did not break, as Tomoyo would never buy an inferior camera. ^~) Takumi pulled his lips apart. "Huh? You? Who are you? Are you Koji?!"  
  
A sweat drop rolled down Tomoyo's head. "Syaoran? Don't you remember me? You look like you've seen a ghost! I'm Tomoyo dressed up *AS* Sakura? And why are you speaking in Chinese?" Takumi got to his feet. He knew some Japanese. "Wait. this. is. Sakura? She's not. Aerin?" His face turned deep red. "OH, MY GOD! I'm so sorry! I. I'm Takumi!"  
  
Sakura sat up and rubbed her lips, then covered her cheeks, still red from the shock. "So. you're not Syaoran after all?" Tomoyo giggled. "You sound almost disappointed, Sakura!" The disguised Card Mistress shook her head and arms fast. "NO! NO! That's not it at all! I was just. umm. shocked?" Tomoyo gave a sinister chuckle. "Oh, I understand Sakura. Ahem. anyway, nice to meet you, Takumi." She bowed. "I'm Tomoyo Daidouji, but I'm dressed like a younger version of Sakura there, and she's an older version of herself, Sakura Kinomoto, and-"  
  
"Wait. wait. slow down. Alright. Please, start over. Tell me the whole story. And please try to go easy. my Japanese isn't that great," Takumi asked.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Mia sighed and dropped her head down onto the table in boredom. "Sigh. We've just been sitting here for an hour. I can't just take this suspense, knowing Koji is out there somewhere!" Aerin shushed her. "I know this is boring, but listening to the my mother, Li Feimei, yearly is a sacred tradition I dare not break, as dull as it may be."  
  
Tap. tap. tap.  
  
A sound of someone's slow walk came from above. Mia and Aerin looked up and gasped. "KOJI!" They whispered. The villain was walking on a small skylight above, with the light of the moon outlining him. "Aerin, what are we going to do?" The young Li shook her head. "There's nothing we can do. We can't leave. We'd be caught. And with whatever Koji has done to my powers, I can't warn anyone. It's pointless to even try. We just have to wait and hope for the best." Mia sighed. "I only pray this goes well."  
  
*********************************************** THUMP!  
  
"Huh? What was that? .Ah, it must just be the wind." The bartender reacted to a loud sound on the roof.  
  
Syaoran lay slumped out on a table. The guards who were there to guard Takumi were still out cold, drunk and asleep. He had been waiting for hours, until he could take it no longer and had given up on looking for Koji.  
  
"Hello, ma'am," a voice asked the waitress, "but would there be a man named Takumi here?" "Huh? Oh? You a friend of his?" The stranger cracked half a smile. "Actually, I'm not really a friend, but I hope to get. very close to him indeed." "Huh? Well, anyway, he's the boy over at that table." The waitress pointed to Li Xiao Lan, still slumped over. "Thank you."  
  
As the waitress returned to the bar, the stranger reached behind his back. "NOW YOU SHALL DIE!" Koji brought a sword down upon Syaoran's table, and more importantly, at the boy's head.  
  
SHHH! The sword pierced through the table, covering it in red.  
  
Of course, it missed Syaoran, who rolled over, and the sword hit a day-old glass of wine, soaking everything. The boy did not awaken, nor did anyone take notice. The other customers were either out cold or too drunk to notice, while the bartender and waitress had slipped into the back room. Also, the table stayed in place, as it was not totally cut through.  
  
Koji stood in total shock. His eyes shrunk. "He. he dodged my attack. He lies face down on a table, and he dodges before I knew what happened. He must be an expert martial artist. To make me totally unaware that he was even paying attention. But. then why hasn't he fought back?"  
  
Koji looked at the boy's face. "Huh? His eyes are closed. Did. I still hit him or something? Is he dead?"  
  
Syaoran then began to snore. Koji fell to the ground in embarrassment. Tears of disappointment streamed down his face. "I missed a sleeping man. GRRR!" He got to his feet and screamed into Syaoran's ear, "DAMN YOU!"  
  
"AH!" Thud!  
  
Syaoran woke up quickly and pushed too much weight on the table, causing it to collapse under his weight. "HOW DARE YOU SLEEP WHILE I'M TRYING TO KILL YOU!" "K-K-KOJI?!" "Huh?" The demon boy looked confused. "How do you know my name? Mmm. The people at the mansion must have told you about me. If that's the case, you must know that I'm here to kill you and steal your soul!" Syaoran staggered to his feet. "Yes, I've heard of you, and I'm ready." Syaoran stood in a martial arts offensive position, ready to strike at any provocation. "Fists against a sword?" Koji closed his eyes and smirked. "You're asking to die a rather fast death. But then again, fighting with a weapon is equally pointless, so I'll at least give you credit for having some coura- OOF!"  
  
Syaoran's foot meet Koji's lower jaw before he could finish his speech. The sadistic one fell onto his back on the floor, covering his mouth. "You know what? You talk too much." Koji licked away a small stream of blood from his cheek. "Why you little, arrogant bastard!" Koji leapt to his feet and crouched down to give a sweeping slice at Syaoran's legs. However, the young Li was not so easily defeated and jumped above the attack to give another blow to the face. "ARGH! Koji was sent back, crashing into the table of the sleeping guards. A bottle of ale came down on Koji's bristly black hair, though this wasn't even close to the amount of punishment required to take his foe down. "Well, you're an annoying little bug, Takumi, but it's time for me to squash you!" Koji reached into his shirt and pulled out.  
  
"NO! IT CAN'T BE! THE LI CLAN FAN!" Syaoran uttered in horror. Koji smiled upon seeing the look of dread on the boy's face. "I see you're familiar with this. I've grown quite attached to it. I think it'll be quite ironic, don't you? You know, having a future member of the Li clan by marriage killed by the very item he was searching for? Well, as you said so kindly before, I talk a bit to much, so instead, I merely bid you adieu."  
  
A familiar circle of magic surrounded Koji as he raised the fan into the air. His black, short hair fluttered in the artificial wind. The conscious customers and employees of the bar took notice and instantly fled out the back door. Syaoran, however, was trapped between a wall and a table, unable to reach a door. He backed against the wall as Koji powered up his attack, whatever it may be. But something surprised Syaoran as one of his hands went through the wall. "Huh?" It was a window covered in a dark curtain. Obviously it was there to block any light, but it was so dark no one really noticed it. Just as this happened, Koji finished his preparations. "DIE!" Syaoran leapt out the window as a sea of flames singed the window and the nearby buildings. Was he burnt as well?  
  
An evil smile was on Koji's face. "Well, that takes care of him. Now, to steal his soul to revive my master." But the second the 'victor' left the bar, he was flipped onto his back and dropped his sword and the Li Fan. When Koji opened his eyes, Syaoran stood above him. He was clad in only a pair of shorts, no shirt, and no shoes, just shorts. Beside him was a still a robe on fire, tossed to the ground. Apparently, Syaoran had not entirely avoided the spell. A look of hatred was on Xiao Lan's face. He grabbed his adversary by the throat, raised a fist, and said, "This is for Sakura!"  
  
Everything snapped in Koji's mind. "Sakura? And he's speaking Japanese? Hey, he looks like. THE BRAT!" Syaoran brought his fist down, but missed when his target swiftly moved to one side, grabbed the fan, and chanted. "WIND!" A sudden gust blew the exposed Li back into a wall. "The little bastard tricked me! Well, I'll show him! By the time he arrives, he'll have a few less friends to worry about saving." Koji got one last look at Syaoran. He was bleeding from a scratch at his hip when it smashed into a wall. He leaped into the air and flew off.  
  
When Syaoran came to, he was alone. "Ugh, where am I?" He was face down in the dirt outside the bar. "DAMMIT! I have to hurry back to the mansion! But first." He shivered. "I need some clothes. Hmm."  
  
One of the drunken guards finally awoke and got to his feet. "Ooh. my head. I'll never drink that much again. this week. I better get back to.. Wherever it was I was going to." He staggered out the bar door, oblivious to the scorched walls and sliced tables. But as soon as he left the tavern, he let out a scream, fell to the ground, and was dragged silently away.  
  
An instant later, Kero-chan floated down out of the sky. "Ah, here's that bar Mia told me to find. But. ummm. Why is it on fire? I better get to the bottom of this. But, hey! Who is that?"  
  
**********************************************  
  
The redness finally drained out of Sakura's face, she kicked off her shoes, and she put her head down on the pillow. Finally, she could rest for a little bit. "Ah, after a day of running around, my feet are sore. This feels so heavenly. I'll . just. rest my eyes and." Sakura nodded off to sleep.  
  
A minute or so later, there was a small tapping against Sakura's window, but she did not awaken.  
  
Slowly and silently, the window was slid open and a dark figure came in. The lights were out and the room was almost pure black. "I can't see a damned thing." Koji uttered quietly. He pulled out a match and lit a candle on the dresser. "Heh. Just as I thought. Asleep. All my sources said this girl can be a heavy sleeper. Well, she'll be sleeping for a long time now!" he whispered.  
  
The demon reached for his sword and slowly unsheathed it. The polished metal reflected his evil face in the light of the candle. He stared at the girl lying on the bed. "No mistaking it, that is her. I better get this over with before that boy comes to and tries to save her." The clock on the wall read 12:17am, 17 minutes later than when Koji had promised to kill someone, but late or not, he was determined to fulfil his promise. He lifted the sword high in the air. Click. The door opened.  
  
"Ummm. excuse me 'Aerin,' but." Tomoyo opened the door and her jaw dropped. "NO! I WON'T LET YOU HURT HER!" Tomoyo leapt into the air and smacked Koji's hand, causing him to drop the sword. Koji turned to the fallen Tomoyo and screamed in anger, "WHY, YOU LITTLE BITCH!" He raised his foot and kicked her in the gut. She yelped in pain.  
  
"Hoe?" Sakura woke upon the noise of Tomoyo's scream. "HOEEE?! TOMOYO! .Errr, I mean Sakura! KOJI! What. Oh, my God!" Sakura backed into a corner. Koji just ignored the fallen Tomoyo and grabbed his sword again. "Hello, Aer-ling. I've heard so much about you. It's too bad we won't have time to get acquainted."  
  
The door was flung open again. "There he is!" Takumi pointed as a group of women, Mia and Aerin included, barged in. Each was armed with a bow and arrow. Each one was aimed at Koji's head. Koji lifted his hands in the air and dropped his sword. Mia stepped forward. "We finally caught you, Koji. If you touch one hair on the girl's head. God help us. You won't live to regret it." Takumi added, "You're quite the fool, you know that?" Koji's eyes widened. "What?! Two Aerins?! Wait, I get it. one of you is a fake. probably the brat. and this girl on the floor isn't the brat, but one of her annoying friends, right? But you? I thought I left you in a pool of blood at that bar!"  
  
The room fell silent. Sakura's eyes shrank, as did her heart.  
  
Tomoyo lifted herself onto the bed. "Syaoran. no. you didn't. You can't do that, especially with my poor Sakura-chan." Takumi stepped forward and removed Syaoran's hat from his head. "Actually, I'm Takumi. I switched with that boy, you. you."  
  
Sakura's eyes began to water. "Blood. Koji left him in his own blood. but does that. NO! YOU COULDN'T!" Sakura broke into tears on the bed. Tomoyo crawled to her and comforted her as best as she could. Mia swallowed her tears.  
  
Koji grimaced. "This is perfect," he thought, "they think I killed the brat. If I can use this right." He coughed. "Well, maybe he's not dead. yet. But I can save him if you let me go." One servant, who didn't speak Japanese asked Takumi, "What is he saying?" "He says the boy who took my place. he may be dead. But if we let him go, he might live. KOJI! If we let you go, how do we know Li Xiao Lan will live?"  
  
The captive demon smiled. "Heh. You don't." "Dammit," Mia muttered, "what do we do?" Sakura hugged her pillow to comfort herself. "I. I don't know. But I can't let Syaoran die. not after how much he's done for me before I could repay him. He can't!"  
  
Aerin saw the grievance on Sakura's face and said to Koji, ".You may go." "WHAAAAT?!" everyone asked. "If it means Li Xiao Lan will live, you may go." Koji smiled. "Wise choice." One guard slowly moved forward, her bow still aimed at Koji's head. The men were the only ones who really knew how to use the bows properly, but they were gone for the night. Sadly, this made life difficult when all the women tried to hold the arrows back for an extended time. But nonetheless, still holding her arrow back and aiming properly, the guard opened a window behind Koji so he could leave. Sakura cried more, though. "Aerin, I can't let you make this sacrifice for us!"  
  
Aerin hung her head. "Sakura-chan, you must understand. When I saw you and Syaoran. what I saw. I can't let you two be separated. I can't say why, but I can't. I will do anything I can to help."  
  
"Well, isn't that sweet!" Koji laughed from outside the window. Mia's face turned to anger. "YOU BASTARD! WE TOLD YOU TO LEAVE, ALREADY! GO!"  
  
Koji reached down into his shirt. "Well, I WOULD leave, if I didn't have this!" He yanked out the Li clan's fan. The women raised their bows. Takumi held his hand out to them, asking them to hold their fire. "We can't risk hitting the fan." The irate demon cackled. "Well, that's where you're being an idiot, because not shooting me will be your last mistake!" Koji raised the fan high above his head and began to summon another powerful spell. "RAGING FI- AUGH!" Koji was struck in mid-air and came crashing down onto the roof. "What the hell was that?" Mia asked.  
  
Sakura, Mia, Tomoyo, Aerin, and Takumi ran to the window and climbed out onto the roof. As soon as Sakura got her head over the roof and into view, she gasped. "KERO?! And who is that?!" Before her was a fully-grown Keroberos and a man clad in the armor of a Li guard. But why would a guard be fighting alongside Kero?  
  
It didn't matter. Sakura was going to help. Tears still rolled down her face. "I don't know what you did to Syaoran, but I won't let you hurt anyone else!"  
  
"O, Key that holds the Power of the Stars. Reveal your true form to me! RELEASE!" The glowing staff grew from her key and she grabbed it midair. She slowly stepped over to the trio of fighters. Mia and Tomoyo followed closely behind. Aerin and Takumi were nowhere to be seen.  
  
Keroberos pounced down on the demon, but he dodged to one side and blew the beast back with the fan. Tomoyo ran to Kero to check on him. Sakura grabbed a card from her bag. "SWORD!" A yellow light swirled around the staff and changed the Sakura Staff into a long, shimmering blade. Apparently, the 'knight in shining armor' had the same idea as her and drew his sword.  
  
Koji unsheathed his sword as well and a violent battle erupted.  
  
The archers climbed onto the roof as well, but they dared not to fire, lest they hit Sakura or anyone else.  
  
No matter what, Koji could not hit them or the other way around, though it seemed a little one-sided. For some reason, Sakura and the armor-clad man fought well, like they knew each other's moves. But. something seemed familiar to Sakura. "I don't understand it. Who is this guard? His movements. I swear I've seen them before."  
  
Suddenly, the two of them split up. Sakura struck from below while the boy snuck up from behind. As Koji jumped over Sakura's attack, the armored boy struck Koji's sword from his hands and gave a devastating punch to Koji's neck, knocking the poor demon out. Sakura and everyone gave a cheer. Everyone gathered around his body, except for Sakura and the boy, who sat down side-by-side and sighed.  
  
"We got him!" "What will we do with his body?" "Should we kill him now, or just imprison him?" "Let's not kill and stoop to his level. Let's just imprison him for life." "Hey, let's see if he's carrying anything useful." "Does anyone see the fan?" All the female archers gathered around and discussed what to do with the unconscious troublemaker.  
  
Sakura turned to the ally she had just met. "Thank you so much. I think we finally have beaten Koji. And it's all thanks to you. May I ask your name?" The boy prepared to take off his helmet when.  
  
"HEY! YOU GUYS! UP HERE!" Aerin called out. She was waving her arms from the highest part of the mansion. Sakura, Tomoyo, Mia, the armored guard, and Kero climbed up to meet with her. Takumi was there where Aerin had stood when she called out as soon, waiting for them to reach the top. However, Aerin was lying down on the ground.  
  
"Oh, my! What happened to Aerin?" Tomoyo asked. Suddenly, Sakura, Kero, and Mia collapsed as well. "OH, NO! What's going on?!" Only she, Takumi, and the armored man were left standing. Takumi shook his head. "Don't worry, they're alright. It's. THIS!" He pointed to a large, black rock on the roof. "Whatever it is, it's blocking all magic power in the area. Anyone with magic who gets close can't use his or her powers as well. No magic attacks functions that well, explaining why my love couldn't foresee very much into the future. Powers may function at a distance, just not as well as normal. If they get REALLY close, it causes a kind of headache and almost all powers become completely worthless. We have to destroy it!" Takumi lifted his sword and brought it down with a crushing blow to the stone. Nothing. "This is going to be harder than I thought."  
  
The guard raised one hand, signaling he had an idea. He stepped up to the rock and attempted to lift it. It was a great load and would take extreme strength to lift. "Eh?" Takumi noticed, "that's a magic resistent armor suit... Why would a guard need one? In fact, only the captain of the guards has one, but he went to protect me in town." Suddenly, the rock began to move. Ever so slowly, the soldier began to lift the giant boulder overhead. With one giant push, he tossed it off the mansion to the hard ground far below. It cracked into a trillion pieces. Even the smaller pieces the girls found on Koji's limp body shattered in their hands once the big stone was destroyed.  
  
Slowly, Sakura and the others got up. "Ugh. you, you've helped us again. Hoe?" Sakura was surprised to see the guard removing his armor. First, the chest piece, then the gauntlets, and then his boots. Lastly, he removed his helmet.  
  
"SYAORAN!" Sakura leapt from her squatting position and tackled him to the ground in a giant hug. They rolled together down the side of the roof and landed in a pond on one side of the house a few meters below.  
  
"SYAORAN! I MISSED YOU SO MUCH! I was so scared, I missed you! Are you alright? Please tell me you are! I'm just so happy to see you!" Syaoran hugged Sakura back, but his face turned bright red in embarrassment and coldness as the pond was far from warm. "Err, I'm happy to see you too, Sakura. I'm alright, I'm alright, just make sure you don't hug my AHHHHH! .hip, like you just did. it's cut pretty badly." Sakura laughed nervously. "Ahehehehehe. Sorry about that." That's when Sakura stepped back and saw him in good light. After his armor crumbled, he was once again left in nothing but a pair of shorts. To her, he seemed so handsome. Her face reddened as well. "Ummm. Syaoran. I mean. wow. Wait, I mean."  
  
SPLASH!  
  
A body dropped into the pond beside them. Tomoyo's head popped back out of the water. "Tomoyo? What are you doing here?" Sakura exclaimed. The girl stood up in the water and revealed she had "changed" quite a bit. Sakura and Syaoran's eyes opened wide. "TOMOYO!" Syaoran exclaimed. "You're in your teen form? Were you drinking potions from my bag?" Tomoyo nodded. "Hai*, I have, but I needed to! It's an emergency! I was watching from above, and I really didn't want to interrupt your kawaii moment, but we have a severe emergency! Come look!"  
  
As the three temporary teens climbed up to the roof via a large ivy vine growing on one side, sounds of struggle came from above. "After you two fell down into the pond, I ran to grab my camcorder, but when I turned around, Koji had not only awaken, but was furious! He was so angry, he'd do anything to get to you! He started to throw the women left and right. A few girls ran to get help from the men who were still in the village, but Koji seemed to be a whole lot stronger and faster. He knocked the messengers out fast. Even Aerin's mother made it onto the scene and was knocked out. I saw my chance and grabbed a couple of potions. I was too small to carry them all, so I drank one of the teen girl potions to help me carry them. We'll need some of them, I think, to beat him. I don't know how, but all this rage has made Koji more powerful than ever."  
  
Syaoran gulped. "This is great. I'm sure if he is so powerful he destroys my house, I won't be born, either."  
  
As they reached the rooftop, Koji met them right there at the ledge. "Hello, friends." Sakura gave a shriek as Koji grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her over his back onto the roof. Next, he grabbed Tomoyo by the hair and threw her over. Aerin and Takumi charged together from the left and right of Koji as this happened. Aerin was charging electricity from her hands and Takumi had his sword drawn. But before they could hit him at once, Koji leaned towards Takumi and hurled him over and he landed on Aerin, knocking them both out. Syaoran was next, still climbing up the vine; however, he was too far away to grab at the roof. Instead, Koji drew his sword and started to hack away at the ivy on the wall. However, before the last piece of the plant could be cut off and fall to the ground, Syaoran reached for the ledge and held on for dear life. Koji was not done, though. He began to try and strike the ledge and slice off Syaoran's fingers. With each strike, Syaoran pulled one hand away. "SIT STILL AND LET ME KILL YOU!"  
  
As he did this, Sakura ran up from behind, and shoved Koji down into the pond below. She helped Syaoran up and they ran for cover. Koji was angrier than ever. He leaped in one bound back to the roof and charged. In the blink of an eye, he punched Syaoran across the jaw and sent him reeling back into the pile of the female archers. Sakura was hit next, with a crushing kick to the stomach, causing her to double over in pain and collapse. Only Tomoyo was standing, but Koji looked none too concerned with her.  
  
Mia shouted from the ground nearby, "Tomoyo. ugh. it's. time. You have to show them now!" The girl seemed almost shocked. "Here? Now?" "YES, NOW!" "Alright."  
  
Tomoyo reached deep down into her shirt and pulled out a necklace, a violet sphere on a silver chain. "Sakura, can you hear me? I need you to summon a Clow Card or a Sakura Card." "Hoe?" The young Card Mistress didn't understand what was going on, but she complied. "W-W-Windy."  
  
The graceful and gentle spirit of the Wind appeared. It seemed almost confused. It had no order to fulfill. However, when Tomoyo held out her necklace, the spirit charged towards her and. was absorbed into the stone. Sakura, Syaoran, and everyone stared in amazement. A bright light emitted from around Tomoyo. Even Koji didn't move.  
  
A moment later, Tomoyo. floated. down. dressed as an angel. Her dress was of long, tan silk. It flowed elegantly down to her heels. Her feet had no shoes, but a single slit of silk covered part of each foot, leaving each toe and the heel exposed. Two white Angel wings, which seemed to glow with the most shining brilliance, ejected from her back. Her long, black to blue hair was even longer, almost reaching her feet. Her eyes were pools of pure blue, not a trace of black in them at all. They were a pure light blue, pure as her spirit. Finally, a small, golden tiara graced her forehead and held her flowing hair back.  
  
The world seemed silent. A magnificent aura surrounded the young girl.  
  
But where and when had she gained this awesome power?  
  
To be continued. 


	23. Moonlight Radiance

Gomen nasai, as usual. This chapter is REALLY late. But I had it done a while back, but it took longer to correct than expected. But I think it's worth it, as this may be one of my favorite chapters ever. ^^  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 23- Moonlight Radiance  
  
The wind blew through the robes Tomoyo wore in her Angel form, but all else was silent and still. Even Koji stood in stunned silence. Sakura's jaw dropped to the rooftop and a million thoughts raced through her mind.  
  
"Koji." Tomoyo said, with her voice almost echoing, "You have performed too many a wicked crime. You have stolen. lied. and even attempted murder. But I shall give you one warning; I do not want to have to use force, but I will if you resist. I will protect my friends and loved ones. You mustn't interfere in my task."  
  
Koji grimaced. "What, so you sprout a pair of wings and float? That's supposed to scare me? Get out of my way. I have a job to finish." Instead, Tomoyo only moved closer to him.  
  
"Hoeee." Sakura exclaimed, with her face down on the rooftop. "I'm so confused! How did Tomoyo get magical powers?!"  
  
Koji pulled out the fan. "I'm warning YOU now! Don't get in my way! I'll use this if I have to!"  
  
Tomoyo only floated closer.  
  
"Alright, you asked for this! FIRE!" Koji raised the fan out in front of him, and the magical heirloom sent a wall of flames barreling down towards the angel. Tomoyo lifted one hand. and the fire stopped dead in its tracks. Her hand began to glow. A gush of wind emerged from it, sending the fire back at Koji, who was barely able to dodge it. Still, the demon got a little too hot from having his attack sent back.  
  
"Damn, that hurt! If I let her stay on her feet. err. or floating, whatever. in any case, I'm finished! But that gives me an idea." Koji stared away from Tomoyo and the others, off the roof. The dark night made it hard to see what he was doing, but it was obviously nothing good. "VINES!" A small circle of light appeared, showing all of Koji's features.  
  
The ivy plants growing on the side of the mansion, the ones Sakura and friends had climbed, were now going berserk. They grew upwards and approached Tomoyo until they had her in their grasp. They began to tighten themselves until she was immobile. One wrapped around each arm, each leg, one across her abdomen, and one last vine squeezed her neck. The Angel flinched, squirmed, and screamed during the attack as she was dragged to the ground.  
  
The sound of metal hitting the stone roof was heard and two glowing streaks of light blew past the vines, cutting them off Tomoyo. The sliced vegetation retreated back to its normal state.  
  
"Thank you so much, Sakura-chan, Li-kun." Tomoyo said to her friends. Sakura had used the Sword Card to ruin Koji's plan and Syaoran had sliced the rest of the vines with his blade.  
  
"I'm sick of this," Koji bellowed, "with you always wrecking my plans! Well, no more! I'll take every single one of you out with one attack! SHIELD!" A blue barrier, created by the Li Fan, surrounded Koji and prevented him from any attacks, physical or magical. This was proven when Syaoran tried to both break it with his sword and burn it with a Fire Charm.  
  
Aerin and Takumi ran up to Sakura. "SAKURA," Aerin said, with fear in her deep eyes, "I've seen what he's going to do! He's charging up all of his magic into one gigantic earthquake! It will flatten the house, if my visions are right!"  
  
"HOEEEE!" Sakura exclaimed. "Then we have to get him off the roof! Maybe we can. That's it! WATERY! TAKE KOJI TO THE SEA!"  
  
The demon was too busy charging up his attack to notice the wave of water flying towards him. The water spirit was above him, summoning all the water nearby to try and grab him. Ponds, puddles, rainwater, and most of the sea formed as one to try and move the evil one, but to no avail. No matter how much water was used, the shield held up.  
  
"Wait, Sakura, I have an idea." Tomoyo flew into the stream of water and seemingly vanished amongst the bodies of water as they pummeled down on the demon. There was a bright flash of light where Tomoyo vanished and Koji's shield seemed to weaken. The shield grew smaller and smaller until it was just about his size. All of a sudden, the water wrapped all the way around his defense and actually lifted him up with it! The Watery Card had him trapped, retreating to the sea. Like a giant hand, it carried him off the roof and down to the beach about a kilometer away. As soon as they reached the ocean, it went off. Koji released his earthquake.  
  
The ground everywhere shook violently. A couple of small buildings in the distance collapsed instantly. Trees were felled. The very earth on and near the beach rose and dropped in elevation in a matter of seconds. Rocks from the nearby mountains started to roll, threatening to crush the mansion.  
  
"If we don't do something about those rocks, we'll all be crushed!" Kero yelled. "We have to take care of them immediately!"  
  
"We have worse problems, Kero! Look!" Syaoran pointed. From the beach, many, long cracks in the ground raced towards them, like a shockwave of tremors. If they reached the mansion, it could disrupt the foundation and it would collapse under its own weight, assuming the very shock alone didn't do that.  
  
"Kero, Syaoran, Aerin, you handle the rocks coming down the mountains! Tomoyo, Takumi, come with me, you'll all help me get rid of these tremors!" Sakura ordered.  
  
Aerin and Syaoran hopped onto Kero's back as he flew them to the said mountain, where the avalanche of stones would come down from in a matter of minutes.  
  
Tomoyo flew towards the beach and the epicenter of the man-made quake. "JUMP!" Sakura held Takumi's arm and leapt into the air towards her target.  
  
"But what can I do," Takumi asked, "if I have no magic powers? I'm only allowed to even marry into the Clan on account of my skills as a warrior!"  
  
Sakura landed and Takumi got off. "That's exactly what we need! Koji is causing this magic. If you can stop him or at least distract him by fighting, we stand a better chance of winning! Now, let's go!"  
  
********************************  
  
On the other side of the mansion.  
  
Fire scorched the land in a ravenous inferno as the great Guardian of the Clow, Keroberos, rained it down upon the boulders. "This isn't working!" the beast hollered.  
  
Aerin concentrated all of her mental power at one particularly large hunk of rock from the bottom of the mountain. The rock above slowly began stop. Eventually, it was completely halted. But, unfortunately, more and more rocks were building up behind it. If all of those rocks hit the mansion, it would be absolutely ruined. The force of the boulder itself and the rocks behind it began to build and build.  
  
"I. I can't. keep this up. much. longer. My p-powers are s-still sapped. from the. anti-magic. stone. I-AHHH!" Aerin yelped in pain and collapsed on the ground.  
  
Syaoran came to the girls aid and lifted her to safety, moving her away from the path of the rocks. "Just wait here, Aerin. or great, great, great, great, great grandmother. It doesn't matter. There's nothing you can do. I have an idea. Just stay still."  
  
Syaoran ran back towards the mansion with a plan in his mind. Aerin stared at her descendant, then away for a minute. "You have a plan? Well, so do I."  
  
**********************************  
  
Tomoyo stood her ground. As the wave of ground rose to meet her, she pushed back with a tremendous blow of magic. The tremor was momentarily halted, but not for long. "Sakura. I. can't hold it! I'm sorry!"  
  
The resonance of wind came and Sakura dropped down beside her newly transformed Angelic friend, focusing her own magic to hold the shockwave back. "Don't be sorry! I don't know how powerful you are, now, but you're a great help! We just have to hold a few more. minutes. Takumi, you have to do it!"  
  
************************************  
  
Kero flew over the boulders in almost pacing-like fashion. "Dammit, what's left to try? Hey, who is that?"  
  
A lone figure went charging up the mountainside as fast as it could go. It was headed directly for the avalanche. It seemed to almost be on a suicidal run for it.  
  
"Who is that idiot? He's going to get himself killed!" Kero moved closer and closer. "OH, MY GOD! THAT'S THE BRAT! HEY! GAKI! GET OUT OF THE WAY, YOU IDIOT!" Kero-chan growled. "This is just great! The gaki is gonna get himself killed and Sakura will blame me! There will be no dessert for a week! HEY! YOU! HOLD ON! Damn, it's too late! He's a goner! The boulder is going to crush him in a second!"  
  
**************************  
  
"Heh. In a matter of minutes, I'll kill them all! By collapsing the house or crushing it, they'll all die!" Koji continued to blast every ounce of power he could muster through the fan, creating the shockwave that was still hurdling towards the castle. Or rather, would still be doing that, but Sakura and Tomoyo held it back, but with enough time, they'd collapse in exhaustion.  
  
"UGH!" A sharp stinging came to Koji's face as Takumi brought his foot to it. The fan flew from his hands and landed in the sand. A figure quickly grabbed the fan and darted off. Takumi didn't have time to see who had taken it. But before he could get a clear view, he felt a fist to his jaw. Before the young man could figure out what happened, he was in the middle of a brawl with Koji.  
  
"Hoe? We're doing it! The barrier is getting pushed back!" Tomoyo nodded. "Yes, now, Sakura, I will continue to push. When I get it far enough back, I need you to somehow seal this or block it. I can sense no magic power in this, anymore. It's just a bunch of cracks in the ground. Koji must have been stopped, but that doesn't mean this won't start up again, so you have to stop it!"  
  
"Right, Tomoyo!"  
  
"O, card that Clow has made, I command you to lose your form and be born again under your new master, Sakura! EARTHY!"  
  
A long, slender, serpent-like spirit of the ground rose into the air and then burrowed deep into the soil. With tremendous might, a great stonewall rose from the very Earth and formed a barrier around the spot where the cracks had stopped. Slowly, the wall encircled the fault and moved in until it covered it entirely. When the walls dropped down, the cracks were gone. The earthquake had been stopped.  
  
"Now, to help my friends!" Sakura stated.  
  
*******************************  
  
Syaoran pushed harder and harder against the massive rock. With feats of unparalleled strength, he was managing to hold back the entire rocks from coming down upon the house. How he was doing this, though, was a mystery. Any normal man, or even a man with magic, should have been crushed by such weight.  
  
"I have no idea how the brat is holding that avalanche back with his bare hands, but I better help anyway," said Kero, as he dived in from above to assist.  
  
Meanwhile, on top of the mansion's roof, some rubble from a tower began to move. A slender hand emerged and soon dug itself out. Mia stood there, battered and bruised, but still healthy. She seemed a bit disoriented, though, as she toppled over backwards and spirals formed in her eyes. "Ooh, I'll never do THAT again. Next time, I'll make sure Koji is out cold before I try to grab things from his pockets. Now, where am I?" She stood up. "Huh? The roof still, but then. where. is. OH, MY! Look at the size of those rocks! I better move!"  
  
Syaoran's muscles strained as he pushed the rocks back up the hill with both arms. Sweat poured down his face. Keroberos pushed beside him. However, suddenly, the weight seemed a lot lighter. In fact, the largest of all the rocks began to move uphill. Syaoran looked to his left to spot Sakura pushing as well. Hovering above, Tomoyo was in the air, using all of her magic to create a giant gust of wind to push it back.  
  
*************************  
  
WHACK!  
  
With a solid punch, Takumi was sent reeling into the sand of the beach. Koji had knocked him out cold. "Well, that was a bit harder than I thought, but he's still. What? HEY!" Koji gritted his teeth and snarled when he saw his plans being thwarted. The earthquake had been stopped and the avalanche was actually being pushed back, somehow. Nothing made sense. But his next step was clear.  
  
"I was hoping it didn't have to come to this. since this could have catastrophic effects on history, far more than I even need, but the fools have left me no alternative."  
  
The demon reached into his jacket and pulled out a small, black box. He pulled the lid off to reveal a red button under glass. He lifted that, and smashed the button down in anger.  
  
"Well, I'll see you all in Hell, then."  
  
***********************************  
  
Back on the mountain top.  
  
Kero's ears twitched as he listened carefully. "Hey, do you all hear that?"  
  
"ERRRRR. Kero-chan, not now! This is hard work!" Sakura said in annoyance. "I'M SERIOUS! I think I heard something dangero-"  
  
BOOM!  
  
The mountain shook in a thunderous roar as a blinding explosion came from the peak. Rubble flew everywhere. Debris came crashing down around the group of heroes. "HOEEEEEE!" Sakura screamed in terror as a giant chunk of rock was about to crush her, but her brave Syaoran dived into her and shoved her out of harms way. Sadly, this caused the avalanche to continue.  
  
A piece of flaming earth smacked Tomoyo in the face and she began to drop from the sky. Her Angel wings began to fall apart feather by feather. Sakura watched helplessly from Syaoran's arms as her best friend crashed into the ground, unconscious, with a pile of rocks about to crush her fragile body. "TOMOYOOOOOOOOO!" Sakura screamed, as the youngest member of the Li clan held her back. Syaoran tried to turn her head so she couldn't watch.  
  
Silence came as everyone turned away. Slowly, Sakura turned around. His and her jaw dropped. The entire avalanche was surrounded by a blue shield of some kind, just a meter or less from crushing the fallen Angel, Tomoyo.  
  
Suddenly, Mia trotted up the mountain. Sakura took the opportunity to race to her friend and lift her out of harm's way. Kero and Syaoran rushed over to Mia.  
  
"Thank you so much, Mia!" Kero said with a smile.  
  
"Huh? What did I do?" asked Mia, very perplexed.  
  
"Well, you just saved Tomoyo, of course," said Syaoran. "I mean, the shield. it looks like your kind of magic, right?"  
  
Mia looked at the shield for a moment. ".No, that's not mine. If you think my magic powers are strong enough to hold back probably 100 metric tons of rock, you're insane. Besides, if I'm talking to the both of you right now, and Sakura is attending to Tomoyo over there, how could I be holding that weight back?"  
  
Syaoran and Kero's eyes shrunk. "That's right," Kero said in utter astonishment. "Whoever is holding that back must be so extremely powerful. wait, that feeling. LOOK! IT'S AERIN!"  
  
There she stood, Aer-ling, Li Clan Fan in hand, on the side of the hill. A familiar aura of Clow Reed's magic was around her as she concentrated hard to protect the mansion from the falling rocks. Sweat poured from her skin. It obviously drained every ounce of her strength. The wind picked up and swirled around her. Her long hair became frazzled in the breeze.  
  
Sakura sat Tomoyo down out of harm's way and ran over to Aerin. "Thank you so much, Aerin! You saved Tomoyo!"  
  
Aerin tried to speak through the strenuous power flowing through her. "Don't. thank me yet. we're not done. yet. The only way we can save the mansion. is to destroy this rubble until it's just sand. I can perform an attack that great, but I need time I don't have. I have to hold this back!"  
  
Sakura reached down into her bag. "Aerin, let the rocks fall and begin to charge the attack. I have no idea what's going on and I don't understand half of the magic forces around here, but I have an idea."  
  
Aerin was shocked to hear the order to let the avalanche continue, but she could see in Sakura's eyes that she knew what she was doing. "Okay. But please be careful." Sakura nodded.  
  
"I know what I'm doing. but everyone else, Syaoran, Kero, Mia, I need one of you to carry Tomoyo back and the other two to evacuate the mansion in case we fail and the house is destroyed." A sweat drop rolled down Kero's head. "Thanks for the vote of confidence." Mia and Syaoran dashed towards. Kero ran towards Tomoyo, put her on his back, and flew off.  
  
Aerin closed her fan and the shield disappeared. Quickly, the avalanche started again at a tremendous pace.  
  
Sakura pulled a card out from her bag with her middle and index finger. She tossed it into the air and the star on her wand began to swirl.  
  
"O, card that Clow has made, I command you to lose your form and be born again under your new master, Sakura! LOOP!"  
  
The world around Sakura began to twist and deform into a weird shape. The rocks flew by Sakura, just missing her. Then, they went by again. And again. And again. The Loop Card forced them to go into a never-ending cycle of falling as Aerin charged up for a final attack.  
  
"FLY!" Having cast the card, Sakura took to the air and evacuated towards the roof.  
  
The clouds overhead slowly began to part. A streak of light came down and encircled Aerin. Tiny particles of magic swirled around her like a million fireflies. Slowly, she was lifted into the air overhead.  
  
"MOONLIGHT RADIANCE!"  
  
ALL of the clouds above suddenly vanished. The moon began to shine brighter and brighter in the night sky. Sakura and her friends had to cover their eyes somewhat, or they were blinded by the sheer intensity of the rays. All Sakura could see were tiny sparkles of blue light descending from the Heavens and the moon towards where the rocks were circling. They began to increase in number until they completely blinded everyone.  
  
A strong gust of wind nearly knocked everyone from his or her feet, but was over almost as soon as it started. Slowly, the land began to return to normal. Sakura moved about, trying to see where she was, but she was still momentarily blinded. She held onto something warm, soft, and it almost felt like it held her back, but of course, that was insane. She just hugged it tight and looked up.  
  
Slowly, her pupils dilated back to their normal size and everything blurred back into sight. Her cheeks reddened. "Errr. oh, Syaoran, it's. you. Sorry, I thought you were. umm." She slowly backed away, releasing her death-like grip on his waist. She didn't seem to notice his face was even redder. "Errr. I-It's no problem, Sakura. Let's just. go check on Aerin."  
  
The land returned to normal, with the exception of the clouds, which did not reappear. However, the rocks, which for so long had threatened to smash the mansion, were just a giant crater. Cheers erupted from the rooftop. The mansion was still standing.  
  
Koji took off his jacket and threw it on the ground in frustration. "DAMMIT! AGAIN! THEY DID IT AGAIN!"  
  
SHHHH!  
  
Takumi unsheathed his sword and had it at Koji's neck. "If I were you, I'd keep quiet about now."  
  
Aerin walked back to her home, with the archer women clapping, having just woken up. With one strike, she had practically decimated half a mountaintop. Using the fan, she created a gust of wind that lifted her up until she was side by side with Sakura and Syaoran.  
  
"Wow, that was AMAZING!" Sakura exclaimed. Aerin blushed humbly. "Really, that was nothing! I just had to protect my friends."  
  
Sakura scratched her chin. "Although, I don't understand a lot of things. for example, how did your powers go from weak from the effects of that stone Syaoran destroyed, to. I'm not even sure how to categorize that! And you, Syaoran, you were holding back a boulder that had to be 200 times your weight! And Tomoyo." Sakura crawled to her friend, who lied unconscious by her side and examined the jewel necklace around her neck. "How did Tomoyo get so much power?"  
  
Out of the blue, the Windy Spirit was released from the jewel and returned to a card form in Sakura's hands.  
  
She yawned. "But. now, I think. I'll just take a nap." Sakura collapsed into Syaoran's lap.  
  
"Oh, my goodness, is she alright?" Aerin asked. "Don't worry," Mia explained. "This happens all the time, or so I'm told. She's used so magic today. Let's just let her rest for now. She deserves it. And I must say, using the Loop Card was a stroke of genius."  
  
"Heh. I'd expect nothing less from my Sakura-chan." Tomoyo mumbled in her semi-unconscious state nearby.  
  
Sakura woke up to the shining of moonlight in her eyes. "Mmm. So warm." She rolled over, though, and hugged her pillow before she opened her eyes. The young Mistress of the Clow sat up and yawned. "Hoe? Where am I?"  
  
The door opened and in walked the chambermaid. "Ah, Kinomoto-sama, you're awake!"  
  
".Sama?" Sakura whispered to herself, questioning the maid's choice of wording. (The maid speaks Japanese, as many people in the house do. But when they first arrived, they maid did not know Sakura and some of the others spoke Chinese, so she used that instead.) "Well, anyway, where am I? What happened?"  
  
The chambermaid bowed. "Well, perhaps you should just follow me, instead. We have some people waiting for you downstairs."  
  
"Hoe? Waiting? For me? Whatever for?"  
  
"You'll see with due time," the maid said, smiling. "Now, please, allow me to show you the way."  
  
The two of them walked down the halls towards the room where the guests awaited. Along the way, they passed by a small table with a vase on it. Beside it, there was a beautiful mirror with a gold trimming shaped like the scales of a dragon. But it was not the image of the dragon that startled Sakura; it was her own reflection.  
  
"Hoe?!" Sakura was so drowsy that she had not noticed she had returned to normal size. She was no longer a teen, but an 11-year-old once more. She was dressed in a different outfit than before as well. Her hair was a lot longer than normal and braided in the back down to the middle of her back. Her dress was a long, sky blue robe that went down to her knees. Below that was a matching pair of pants and sandals. A set of green buttons went up the front of her robe up to her collar. "Wait, how did this-" "So sorry, madam, but there's no time for questions. You're needed downstairs quickly!"  
  
They came to a large pair of doors, which the maid opened. The inside was extremely bright, as the light of the moon came through the giant ceiling windows and was reflected off the marble floor. The room was filled with people as far as the eye could see. It had to be the main hall or something similar to it. "Why are so many people here?" Sakura asked. "I didn't think there was a third of the people here when I fell asleep, and it's still night, so."  
  
"Sakura!" A familiar voice beckoned her forward. It was Aer-ling. She was clad in the very same robe as Sakura, only a bit larger to fit her frame. "I'm so glad you woke up in time!"  
  
"Hoe?" Sakura blinked. "In time? What do you mean? In time for what? I thought I went to sleep only a few ho-"  
  
"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo rushed up to her. "You look so lovely this evening, in your formal Chinese wear." Tomoyo's eyes went into their usual sparkling routine. "But you at least woke up in time for the celebration!"  
  
"Yeah. Mmm, this is good. Sakura never has been that good at getting up on time." Kero said, stuffing another cookie or three from a platter into his tiny mouth, but endless stomach.  
  
A vein popped up on Sakura's head. "Hey, you're not so good at it yourself. But please someone tell me what is goi-" "Sakura!" Syaoran and Mia called out and Sakura fell to the ground in exasperation.  
  
"ALRIGHT! That's enough! Can someone please tell me what's going on here?!" A sweat drop rolled down Syaoran's head. "Errr. That's what I came here to tell you." Sakura blushed. "Oh. Sorry. I lost my temper for a second. Please, tell me."  
  
"Well, where should I start?" asked Syaoran. Sakura took a deep breath and responded, "Well, that entire battle was really confusing. First of all, how were you alone holding back a giant boulder that had to be two-hundred times heavier than you?"  
  
"Easy," he said, "with this!" He held up a glass bottle. "It's some strength-enhancing potion from my gift bag. Without it, I would have been crushed." During the conversation, she stared at Syaoran's clothes. He was clad in a white suit with gold buttons from his waist to his neck. The clan symbols were embroidered on both arms.  
  
"I understand now," said Sakura, "but now I have another question. Tomoyo," she turned to her friend, "where did you get magic powers?! I knew you had them when we went to the future to fight Sadin, but now.?"  
  
Mia stepped up. "I can answer that. It was a bit of a surprise for you all." Syaoran chuckled. "Well, we certainly were surprised, so you succeeded."  
  
Mia smiled. "Well, thank you! This whole plot started after Koji vanished from the time when we rescued Kumiko from him. I went to investigate the place where he left and found a jewel on the ground. I picked it up and took it back. Then, while you two slept later that night, I examined it. I knew then what it was. It was the fabled 'Angel's Medallion.' It's a special piece of jewelry that absorbs magic to transfer it to the wearer, transforming him into whatever reflects his or her heart, good or evil. However, this charm does not work on those who already have magic. Koji must have learned that the hard way or else there's no possible way he'd lose it. So, I decided to give it to Tomoyo, who was more than enthralled to get a chance to help you in battle, Sakura. I gave her a little training behind your backs, but she was never truly able to merge with the borrowed magic until she had something as powerful as a Sakura Card or Clow Card."  
  
A sweatdrop rolled down Sakura's face. "That's a bit of a long explanation. but tell me, Tomoyo, can you still use it?" Her friend smiled and held up the Medallion, which was now a deep crimson color. "Hai, I can! And I'll be sure help you next time."  
  
Takumi walked up from behind and laughed as he put his hand on Aerin's shoulder as she blushed. "Well, there may not be a next time!"  
  
"Hoe?" Sakura exclaimed. "Sakura, we have some more good news! I managed to capture Koji while you were sleeping. He's down in the basement with 10 armed guards constantly watching him and all of his magic material has been confiscated. We initially were going to kill him. but. err. we thought it a bit inappropriate to spill blood before our w-wedding t-tonight." he said with a blush.  
  
"HOEEEEEEE?! WEDDING?!" Sakura screamed, "Isn't it a bit early to have a WEDDING? I mean, we only fought Koji last night, and it's probably early morning, right? The stars are still out! See?" She pointed through the skylight towards some constellations.  
  
A sweat drop appeared on Tomoyo's brow. "Sakura? It wasn't last night. You've been asleep for three days."  
  
Sakura's face reddened in embarrassment. "Oh. I see. That would explain why the age potion I drank to make me a teenager wore off when it lasts 24 hours. But say, if I'm back to normal, why is my hair so long still? It's usually only shoulder-length." Tomoyo smiled. "Well, when I was preparing you for the wedding, I couldn't leave your hair the way it was, so I had a special herb prepared with magic to make one's hair longer. anything to make you look great." Sakura sighed. "You'll never change, Tomoyo. But I'm sorry for delaying you all by sleeping. I guess transforming two cards and using even more was just a bit too much for my body to handle," she said with a nervous laugh. "Hai," Aerin said. "You shouldn't push yourself that hard. Besides, you deserved a nice rest after saving our mansion, and more importantly, our lives, so we didn't want to wake you. If you hadn't used that card to hold the rocks in place, I would never had the chance to destroy them in time."  
  
Mia ran her fingers through her hair in thought. "Say, about you destroying those rocks, how DID you do that? An attack like that could have wiped out a city, if you'd wanted it to!" Aerin shook her head. "No, it wasn't THAT great. To tell the truth, it's a little something that I have been perfecting over the years, to use pure light of the moon as a weapon that only works under circumstances of danger. It won't work at any time I may wish. That's why I was never able to finish it: I was never in real danger, but when I saw that my family could have been hurt. I had to stop the avalanche from crushing the mansion. I just had to."  
  
Tomoyo sighed. "That's so inspiring. But Takumi, where were you during all of this?"  
  
The boy laughed. "Well, there's a rule in the Li clan: To become a member of it, you have to marry in with either great magic, or the skills of a warrior. I have no magic power. So, I had to show Koji that I was still qualified, if you take my meaning." He smiled. "Actually, I wasn't that great. Basically, I knocked him out after he detonated the mountain with that magical box thing. Whatever it was, it must have had magic powers of SOME kind to create that large of an explosion."  
  
Aerin smiled. "Actually, it's a detonation device for use with explosives."  
  
"Hoe?" Sakura exclaimed. "How do you know that? I didn't think explosives like that existed in this age. I think Chiharu was wrong: Yamazaki was telling the truth when he said a Chinese panda created the first stick of dynamite!"  
  
A sweat drop rolled down each of Aerin, Mia, Kero, and Tomoyo's heads. They were not convinced by the fib. "Really? A panda?" Syaoran exclaimed. "How did it do that?" "I think it used a special kind of leaf." Sakura responded. Takumi didn't even know what they were talking about. "Actually, that was a lie. I only know about these devices from you all. When my fiancé mentioned the explosion, you all pictured it in your heads and I was able to see what you knew of them."  
  
A sweat drop rolled down Takumi's head. "Uh-oh. maybe I'd better watch what I think from now on." Aerin smiled. "Don't worry, I'd never use this power against anyone I really care about. I was just interested in what could have caused the avalanche. I never saw anything like it before."  
  
Another chambermaid of Aerin approached. "Pardon me, Aer-ling-sama, but it would appear you're needed for a few last minute changes to your wardrobe. It would appear it would take all the time until the wedding begins later. I'm terribly sorry." Aerin turned to her maid. "No, it's alright. I have no choice, I suppose. I'll bet anything it's my parents doing. They've been a little excited about this."  
  
"Where are you going, Aerin?" Sakura asked. "Oh, my maid says I have to get some alterations to my dress before the ceremony." Tomoyo smiled. "Well, we're wearing the same thing, may we come along?" Aerin returned the smile. "Of course! Just follow me. I'll see the rest of you later!" Mia, Tomoyo, Sakura, Aerin, and the maid all left the main hall for the tailor's room, leaving only Takumi, Kero, and Syaoran behind. (Kero could have followed, but he was far too interested in the dinner to leave.)  
  
An hour or two passed while Syaoran, Takumi, and Kero were just waiting around for the ceremony. Syaoran was rather relaxed. It felt good to have an hour or so to rest. Kero was enjoying his time alone as well, gorging and flying around as he pleased. Takumi, though, was not so easily calmed. He knew the significance of this day on his life. He continued to pace around the room.  
  
Syaoran looked up from his nap on a bench. "You don't need to worry so much. Remember, everything turns out all right. If it didn't, I'd never be born. It will be fine." Takumi gulped and his face turned red. "What if your coming back in time interfered with the whole timeline and everything is ruined?"  
  
Syaoran sighed. "If you really love Aerin." Takumi perked up. "Oh, I do, I do!" ".Then there won't be any problems, okay?" Syaoran continued.  
  
Takumi chuckled. "Easy for you to say. Do you even have anyone you like at all?"  
  
Syaoran's mind became clouded instantly. He saw images of Sakura laughing, smiling. It warmed his heart. His face turned red.  
  
"Syaoran? Syaoran? Hello? Are you awake?" Takumi gazed at the preoccupied boy. "Huh? What?" Syaoran came back to his senses. He turned even redder. "I asked you if there was someone you liked, so maybe you'd understand how I feel." Syaoran couldn't say it. "Errr. no, no one at all I like at all, so don't bother asking. Oh, well. You know, I've never met Aerin's parents, so maybe I better hurry! Have to meet them soon, you know, so maybe. umm. bye!" Syaoran leapt to his feet and dashed off, but not before tripping over another bench, running into a couple of people, and falling flat on his face.  
  
Takumi just stared. "What was THAT all about? Oh, maybe I should start going around to introduce myself and be congratulated."  
  
Another hour passed. It was now midnight. The moon was nearly full, but not quite. The stars shone brightly. Takumi had moved towards the halls to do his pacing. Suddenly, some servants put out the candles on the walls. The only illumination was from the moon and stars through the skylight. It gave everyone's face a glowing blue shade. In the corner of the room, a piano began to play a quiet, yet moving tune. Slowly, violins came in as well. Before anyone knew it, an entire orchestra was playing. It was enough to bring tears to your eye. (Actually, pianos and violins didn't exist back then, but with a little help from Aerin's powers, she had learned of them and created them.)  
  
Slowly, the sound of footsteps came from the hall behind. Everyone took their seat, including Syaoran, who sat in the very front row, left side, next to the aisle.  
  
First, Takumi came out. Beside him stood who appeared to be Aerin's mother. She was a rather short, but elegant woman. Her hair was short, her eyes were green, and she had an air of class around her. Or rather, she would have, had she been able to hold her tears back as she marched down the aisle. Next, it was the bride's turn.  
  
Slowly, Aer-ling came into view. Her dress was dramatically different. Her hair was long and blond, perfectly straight. She wore a golden tiara to hold it back. Her dress was a sky- blue gown, stretching from her neck to her feet. It was neither too loose, nor too tight. A bouquet of Sakura blossoms was in her hands, as pink as the scarf-like piece of fabric that wound around her neck and over her arms. Of course, her face was also pink in embarrassment. In the hand without the flowers, she carried the fan she had worked so hard to get back.  
  
Beside her was a tall man with hair just like hers. A thick beard covered his chin, hiding a big smile of pride. He had a look one can only describe as "fatherly." Deep, blue, caring eyes, a stout, strong frame.  
  
Shortly behind, Mia and Tomoyo followed the two of them to the end of the aisle. They were dressed like they were before. But where was Sakura?  
  
Upon reaching the front of the room, Tomoyo and Mia took seats beside Syaoran. He was going to question where Sakura was, but he did not have the time.  
  
The speaker before them spoke beautifully, referring to endless love and of the times that lay ahead for the couple. Syaoran wanted to listen, but he kept looking around, trying to spot Sakura. Had she taken her seat elsewhere?  
  
Suddenly, before the speaker could announce the pairing of Aerin and Takumi, Aerin turned toward the crowd. The music died down to utter silence. "This may seem a bit unorthodox, but I recently became aware of a tradition in a foreign land. According to it, when two people truly love one another like I love my husband-to-be, they give each other a ring of gold. the circle of the ring symbolizing the never-ending love and devotion for one another. So, I'd like to ask my dear friend to come out, Kinomoto Sakura."  
  
Syaoran could not believe his eyes or ears. He turned to see a dark figure walking in through the door.  
  
Sakura wore a long silk dress of a light pink with a light blue silk scarf, similar to that of Aerin. She wore no shoes, but instead had a golden pair of ankle bracelets that showed themselves when Sakura took a step. Silver earrings reflected the moonlight into Syaoran's eyes. Then again, her great emerald eyes reflected the moon as well, like a great platter made of the finest and greenest of emeralds. Her hair was also straight down, not quite as far as Aer-ling's, but long indeed. Syaoran's heart skipped a beat just looking at her. She carried a blue pillow with gold trimmings towards the front of the room. Each partner took a golden ring and placed it on the other's hand at the same moment. There was a moment of silence and no one moved. Not so much as the sound of a breath could be heard.  
  
Then, they embraced. The entire room erupted in applause. Tomoyo put down her camcorder for a moment to wipe a tear from her eyes. "It's so wonderful," she whispered.  
  
Suddenly, the room became silent once more. The new bride and groom moved toward the crowd just a bit and held each other hand in hand. However, suddenly, Aerin walked to Syaoran. "You know, my great descendant-to-be." she began to say in Chinese so as not to arouse suspicion from Tomoyo, "none of this would be possible without you and your friends. So, to reward you, I ask that you dance alongside us now, as tradition says."  
  
Syaoran blushed. "What! Me? Dance? But with whom?" Aerin smiled back. "I'm sure you can find someone."  
  
Then, she walked away and held Takumi's hand once more.  
  
It took all the bravery in his body, but Syaoran eyed Sakura and stood up. His legs felt like they couldn't support him, but he managed to walk over to her. "Syaoran? What are you-" "S-S-Sakura?" She gave him a strange look. "Ummm. yes?" Syaoran extended his right hand slowly. His face was, of course, as red as one can imagine.  
  
"M-May I have the p-pleasure of a d-d-dance?"  
  
Sakura placed one hand on her cheeks to hide her embarrassment and the other on her heart to control it.  
  
"I. I'd love that."  
  
Slowly, but with ever so much grace, they danced. The stars seemed to get extra brilliant. Staring into each other's eyes, they felt a warm comfort in their bodies.  
  
"Sakura. I. I've been meaning to tell you something," Syaoran said, putting one hand on her shoulder and the other in her hand, pointing outward.  
  
Sakura looked him in the eyes and replied, "You know, you can always tell me anything."  
  
"Well. I. I just wanted to let you know. We've been through a lot together. Nearly dying often. but. but. I guess what I want to say is. I. For you. I'd do it all again in a heartbeat."  
  
Sakura was shocked. She didn't know quite what to say. "Syaoran. You really feel that way? You're sure?"  
  
Syaoran smiled. "I'm more sure now than I ever have been in my life."  
  
Sakura blushed. "And. I, too, would do it all again."  
  
They continued to dance to the sounds of the violin and piano with such emotion. it was indescribable.  
  
Sakura placed her head comfortingly in Syaoran's chest as they both stared up at the stars, still dancing almost instinctively.  
  
But they could not take their eyes off the stars, especially once a shooting star slowly vanished into the dark night sky.  
  
But... for some reason, the stars. seemed to shine brighter than ever.  
  
And it felt like the stars shined only for them.  
  
To be continued. 


	24. The Final Victim and the Return of the D...

Chapter 24  
  
The Final Target, and the Return of the Demon Army  
  
Deep within the basement of the mansion, disaster struck.  
  
Rubble piled up on the ground. Guards were strewn about on the floor, unconscious. Shelves of books had fallen over and their contents were destroyed. But worst of all, the lock of the cage containing Koji had been picked open.  
  
Sakura's head dangled and bounced up and down as she slept. Syaoran's did the same in the bed across from her. Both of their cheeks were bright red. They were exhausted, but they still dreamt of that final dance under the stars together. Syaoran even held his arms out in his sleep, as if he was still dancing. He moved in, as if to accept a kiss.  
  
"WAKE UP! EMERGENCY! A maid screamed from the hallway. Startled, Sakura and Syaoran both leapt with shock and landed promptly on their heads. "OW!" they screamed in unison.  
  
"Huh? What? Is something going on?" Syaoran asked, still half asleep. "Just five more minutes." Sakura said, drifting off to sleep again, only that on the floor. "I'll get up soon, Kero."  
  
"EMERGENCY!" The scream came again. This time, Sakura and Syaoran knew something was wrong. They drowsily got up and walked to the door. when it was flung open. They both landed on top of each other as a maid entered. "Oh! So sorry! Are you two okay?" Sakura stood up and rubbed her backside and her head. "A sore back, head, and a few other minor pains, but we're alright. What's wrong?"  
  
The maid managed to calm down somewhat. She took a deep breath. "It's. Koji. He. he was locked in the basement, but he managed to pick the lock. Normally, this would be no problem for our guards, but. there's. there's. I just can't."  
  
Syaoran put his hands on the maid's shoulders. "Calm down. What is there? What did Koji do?"  
  
"He. He managed. he just. The guards were knocked senseless by Koji, except for one, who managed to stay awake, but barely. She saw him. he. He summoned an army to back him!"  
  
BOOM! The door behind them suddenly exploded and was engulfed in flames. The three of them dropped to the ground and covered their heads. However, the maid still fell unconscious. When they turned around, only a black figure in the billowing smoke was visible. Suddenly, the figure made his identity more obvious.  
  
He stepped forward to reveal his identity. he was a tall, dark man, with a well-combed head of black hair. His eyes were covered by a pair of opaque sunglasses. He was clad in. a tuxedo.  
  
Sakura covered her face. "Is. that what I think it is?" Syaoran growled. "A demon! He is! I can feel it."  
  
The man in the tuxedo laughed. "You're both very astute. Indeed, I am one who you remember from your previous battles. And I've been sent here to make sure you don't meddle in any more affairs of Koji!" Ignoring the stunned Syaoran and Sakura, he continued.  
  
"My master has sent you a final message: 'To my dearly beloved rivals,'" the demon said in perfect imitation, as if possessed by Koji, "'I have discovered something far more sinister than what you may have already imagined. But it's such a pity that the only ones who will be able to appreciate the sheer genius of my plan at full will forever be trapped in the past. Well, that's not necessarily true. I happen to have a friend or two of yours with me. It's time to bid you all a final adieu.'"  
  
"Grrr. What does any of that mean?!" Syaoran demanded to know. The villain chuckled. "Quite simply, it means that the Day of Sadin's Revival is no longer necessary. Our master came to realize, why REVIVE HIS master, when he himself could SURPASS him in strength! And since you two always seem to get in the way, as we speak, some of my fellow comrades are sealing you in this time. PERMANENTLY!"  
  
Sakura sobbed. "Trapped?! Here?! Tomoyo, Mia, Kero? Where are they?"  
  
The demon smiled. "Oh, your friends? Well, we couldn't find that little stuffed animal friend of yours, but those other two. They're not here anymore. We decided that keeping the five of you together was a dangerous idea, so we will keep that blonde and that black-haired girl with Koji back in the present while he finishes the plans!"  
  
Tears began to pour from Sakura's eyes. "Tomoyo. Mia." she whispered. Syaoran was slightly less saddened by these turn of events, and instead boiled in fury. "You. I won't. You c-can't. There's no chance on Earth we'll let you just walk in and trap us here! We're going back to rescue Tomoyo and Mia, and I won't let any of you stand in our way!" There was a moment of silence. "Boy. you two don't have a choice! C'mon in!"  
  
From where the door had been blown off his hinges, 4 more demons proceeded to enter and held up a weapon at the pair. Guns, swords, and bows. "So, as you can plainly see, it would be best for you to just sit down and keep quiet."  
  
Syaoran, though, noticed something out of the corner of his eyes. He smirked. "No. We're not going to give up. We've come too far to just surrender! And as long as I have Sakura by my side, I can and WILL keep fighting, no matter what!"  
  
Sakura's face reddened. "Syaoran.? Ummm. thanks. I'm. I'm going to keep fighting, too, as long as I have my friends to help me."  
  
The arrogant smirk on the main demon's face turned to a scowl. He gripped his sword even harder as he gnashed his teeth. "You two really want to die, don't you? So be it!"  
  
"WIND!" A gust of air blew throughout the room, causing 4 of the 5 demons to be blown right out the open window to the sea. The one remaining tuxedo, the one that was going on about the plans of his master, turned around. "Aerin!" he screamed and raised his sword in a desperate attempt to strike her before she did, but it was too late. A yellow streak flew through the air and tackled him. Before anyone knew what had happened, Keroberos lifted the man up by his shirt, carried him to the open window, and dropped him, so the demon landed face down in the sand, unable to get unstuck from his sandy tomb.  
  
Kero laughed out loud. "Well, that's the last we'll see of him. Are you all okay?" Sakura fell on her knees and tears started pour down her cheeks.  
  
"Hey, what's wrong, kiddo? Did that guy hurt you before Aerin and I arrived?" Sakura wiped her tears away and shook her head.  
  
"No. It's just. Tomoyo. Mia. they've both been. captured. We may never see them again. And if we don't find where and how we're going to be sealed back in time. We'll never see them again."  
  
Kero smiled and closed his eyes. Calmly, he reassured her, "Sakura, you don't have to worry. Tomoyo and Mia are perfectly safe. I can tell you that for sure." "Hoe?" Sakura looked up, "How do you know that?" Aerin also smiled, she walked to the hallway, and she waved down it. Immediately, two young girls entered. "Because they're here!" Aerin finally answered.  
  
Sakura's tears began to come down again. "Tomoyo? Mia? You're. you're." She couldn't hold it in any longer. She leapt into Tomoyo's arms and rested her head on Tomoyo's shoulders. "I was so afraid they may have done something to you."  
  
Tomoyo returned a smile. "Don't worry, Sakura-chan. We were on our way to be taken with Koji, but Kero and Aerin saved us, then we heard the explosion that apparently happened at the door. But even if we were taken with him, we wouldn't have given up. Not as long as we knew you were still fighting." Sakura smiled. "Arigotou, Tomoyo-chan." The two hugged for a moment.  
  
Mia finally built up the nerve to end the relieving reunion. "I hate to break this up, since that was a very close call, but if we don't do something soon, we'll be stuck in the past. Permanently. Then, who will stop Koji from doing whatever he is going to do now?"  
  
Aerin smirked with an almost evil look in her eyes. "There's no need for that. I knew Koji would do that. I predicted it last night. So, I decided to set up a little trap. I really wanted to warn you, but I needed Koji to believe we were clueless. Takumi is out cleaning up the rest of the demons in the streets, checking for any remaining forces. Kero was here because he knew he'd get the best chance to protect you if he followed me. I need some allies to help, after all. But, back to the point: The demon that you all saw right here was a little outdated in his information. Not only were Tomoyo and Mia safe, but there's no way to trap you all here, anymore."  
  
Sakura clapped her hands together and her eyes pen wide. "Really? We're not in any real danger?" "No," Aerin replied. "You see, we rescued Mia and Tomoyo with an ambush over the city streets. When the demons walked under, carrying them, we swooped down. But that was also a signal. It told Takumi. umm." she blushed, "I mean, my husband." In her quietest voice and with a completely red face, she added, "I'll never get used to saying that. Errr. Sorry! I got a little distracted there. As I was saying, that was also a signal. As soon as we jumped, I had my husband run to the place where the spell to seal everyone here would be cast in preparation. Let's just say once Takumi was through with the spell casters, they were in for a long ocean trip on a small raft. Especially since we had our OWN casters there to block all of their attacks."  
  
Syaoran laughed. "Aerin, you really do think of everything." His smile quickly died, though. A look of concerned glazed over his face. "However. The demon did say one thing that I don't understand. but, well, first, maybe I should ask HOW these demons even exist."  
  
Sakura and Syaoran then began to picture scenes in their minds of their previous adventure and explained it to those who weren't there or didn't remember it. They recalled at the very end, they journeyed deep into the castle of Sadin. A flood of demons in tuxedos was created with a special jewel. However, that jewel was shattered by Syaoran's sword and it was supposedly what caused every demon to disappear in all of time.  
  
"It doesn't make any sense." Mia thought aloud as she paced the room. "I remember it like it was yesterday. Sadin had created the army, we smashed the crystal into nothingness, and the monsters vanished. Where could Koji have gotten some of these dangerous minions? And then why would one of his lackeys say that they have a new plan? Don't they wish to revive Sadin, still?"  
  
Aerin sighed. "I think I know the answer, but I'm not so sure you're going to like it."  
  
Everyone had a seat on the bed in a minute. Keroberos had reverted to his smaller size and sat in Sakura's lap. Aerin, however, was quite uneasy. She could not sit still on the other bed and continued to pace, sweating as she went. "Is something bothering you, Aerin?" Tomoyo asked with a lot of concern in her expression. "You look like you're burning up, but it's quite cool." Aerin shook her head. "I am feeling rather hot under the collar, but that's not why I'm sweating. You see. it has finally occurred to me what has happened, or so I believe. You have asked where Koji received these foes of ours and you asked what he plans to do next. I can answer both with one answer: The Mirror of Time."  
  
"Hoe?" Sakura exclaimed. "I'm a bit confused. I thought the Mirror of Time was just what Koji used to travel through time. How does that answer either question?"  
  
Mia scratched her chin. "I. think I understand. Maybe. Are you implying that Koji has actually found a way to use that mirror to take these demons from the past-No, not just the past, or the future, as the case would have been with regards to when we fought Sadin. But in any case, Koji would have to have enough power to reach through dimensions and actually pull these foul things through time again and bring them here."  
  
Aerin's eyes bulged. "That's amazing! That's exactly what I was going to say. Granted, it's not proven, but that's most likely what happened. That's how Koji has received an army: he has learned to borrow from his Ex- master's army in time."  
  
"Huh?" Syaoran grunted. He looked perplexed, like he had just heard them all say complete jargon. "Did you say EX-master? Why would Sadin no longer be Koji's master? Doesn't Koji want to revive him?"  
  
Aerin sighed. "That's what I was getting to next. I've noticed. the rage building inside Koji. He's yet to show his true power. Surely you've noticed his increase in strength, even in his brief time here. I'm guessing he didn't have much power at all when you first met him." Syaoran nodded. "I suppose your right. As we've gone along, he's become more vicious. more powerful. even more hateful. I mean, at first, he was kind of a klutz. but now. We're just lucky to be alive."  
  
Aerin took a deep breath. "That is the cause of the Mirror of Time. It's an old, evil artifact of a civilization lost long ago. A race of people, before people were ever known to exist in Japan, according to historians, prospered. However, the small population grew. And grew. Finding little land to expand on, the army of the populous left in search of new lands. but the Elders of the village decided a frontal invasion was too costly anywhere. So, they called upon the aid of every magician they knew. Together, they decided they could rule the world. all they had to do was create a means in which to send troops back into time at strategic points in history and they could conquer any land. Thus, the Mirror of Time was created. However, the people of the land thought this power was far too great to be used by one man. The people felt their leader was becoming corrupt. Eventually, their King decided to use it to make himself as close to a God as could be. He wanted to rule everything. The people revolted and."  
  
WHAM! Aerin slammed her hand and a book down onto the floor. "The people overthrew him. He was exiled, and the mirror was buried in a temple they prayed would never be opened again. However, the King swore his vengeance. He claimed he would return one day to claim rule to what was rightfully his. HE never returned, though, and the few who knew of the mirror felt he would still come back day, that his spirit would forever haunt that mirror."  
  
Syaoran choked hard as Sakura clung to his neck, trembling and drenched in sweat. "SCARY! I HATE GHOST STORIES!" Syaoran finally managed to release Sakura's death-grip from his throat and breathe. "I thought I was going to suffocate. AHEM. anyway, there's no need to worry. I'm sure that was all just a myth."  
  
"No, what I have said has been all truth." Aerin said gravely, her hands clasped in front of her. "The Li clan has always kept records of it. However, we don't have any record of anything that may have happened yet from this. But my guess is this greedy king is within the mirror. When Koji found it, the evil and greed and power of the king was transferred into him. It's only a guess though. If this is true."  
  
Aerin took a deep breath. "Koji may be more powerful than Sadin ever was. He may cause more damage than if he ever revived his FORMER master."  
  
The room fell silent. "But don't worry. Koji can't bring it out too fast. It takes him time to release this power. You can beat him if you try within the allotted time. But now, rest. Then, we'll send you back to the present. Everything should be normal then, but look for anything suspicious. As for me. I have to go think about this some more. I'll see you all after some rest. And don't worry about any more interruptions. We have more guards on patrol than ever. We're safe." Sakura and the others gave her a "good night" and then turned in to their beds.  
  
Dawn came what seemed like hours earlier than normal. However, relaxation had kicked back in and they all felt much better after the night's assault. Morning came casually. After everyone awoke and bathed, they all went to the dining room for some breakfast.  
  
After breakfast, everyone was called to the front gate. When they reached their destination, they found Aerin and Takumi sitting on the side of a large fountain to the left of the gate. Aerin was holding onto his arm, holding perfectly still. Before them, a man sat with a canvas, ready to paint.  
  
"Ohayo gozaimasu! (Good morning)" Aerin said to them. "Ohayo!" They all replied. Takumi turned to them. "We were going to get our wedding picture painted today. and. since the wedding could not have taken place without you, we thought it would be great if you could join us." Tomoyo smiled in reply. "That sounds wonderful! We'd be honored to!"  
  
Together, they all sat, side by side. Aerin and Takumi were in the center, arm in arm. Tomoyo and Mia (also Kero, if you count his tail poking out of the sanctuary of Tomoyo's hair) were on the right, chatting. On the left.  
  
"Ummm. pardon me, young boy," the painter said, "but do you have something on your face? It's bright red. It's a bit distracting." Sakura was lying on the side of fountain, stretched out, barefoot with one foot in the water, and her head leaning up against Syaoran's shoulder. Naturally, this had his face as red as a ripe tomato. "Errr. no, I'm uhhh." He cupped his hands and splashed his face with the cool water. "I was just a little hot."  
  
"Hmmm?" Mia noted. "Hot? But it's nearly freezing, if you ask me!" A sweat drop rolled down Syaoran's head. He turned his head away to conceal his embarrassment, but with little results. "Well. I guess maybe I'm just really sensitive to the cold. so. err."  
  
"Sigh. You shouldn't worry about it anymore. I'm done. I've finished." The painter stood up to reveal the completed portrait. It was remarkably lifelike.  
  
"Wow! That's so beautiful! So vivid!" Tomoyo added, "Yes, but it's such a shame we can't show it to any of our friends." Mia shook her head. "It's partially a shame and a blessing. I know relatives in Kyoto who would love to see it. but if anyone did, I'm sure they'd be curious as to how we all look so young, being well over a millennium old."  
  
Sakura giggled quietly. "I suppose you're right. But then. now that this is over. Do we have to go back to our own time?" Aerin nodded her head then hung it. "I suppose it's for the best." Takumi smiled back, and lifted his wife's head with his hand. "Don't cry or worry. You can always come back and visit anytime you want!"  
  
Sakura clasped her hands together and her eyes glowed. "Really? We can come back?" "I don't see anything wrong with that at all," was the reply of the newly-wed Aerin.  
  
"Yay!" Sakura screamed with quite some enthusiasm. "I love it he-HOEEE!" Sakura was about to leap in the air, when her foot hit a rock. "Sakura!" Heroically, Syaoran stepped in and caught Sakura.  
  
SPLASH!  
  
.It's too bad he caught her after it was too late and they both landed in the fountain.  
  
"Hoeee. Gomen nasai, Syaoran." "It's. it's alright, Sakura. I'm just a little wet. Well, very wet, but it's no big deal."  
  
Tomoyo giggled and whispered to Mia, "This is so cute. This isn't the first time they've ended up like this." "Really?" "Uh-huh."  
  
"Well, I guess we better leave, then." Syaoran said. "No, no, no! Aerin replied thrice. "I'm not going to let my descendant freeze to death!" Syaoran shook his head. "N-no! I'm fine, really! Don't waste good clothes on me." Sakura smiled. "Say, why don't you come over to my place?" She requested. "Huh?" The puzzled look on the boy's face was completely vacant. "What do you mean?" "I mean, silly, when we return, come over to my house and I can lend you some of Touya's old clothes. I can pay you back for the time you lent me a shirt, and I noticed your butler Wei wasn't around, so it must be lonely." Syaoran blushed and whispered quietly to himself, praying that no one would notice. "Stay? At her house? AHEM." He finally built up the spirit to speak. "I-I. Thank you, S-Sakura, I think I will.. I- if that's what you really want. But you're right. Wei is gone. When Koji appeared, I had him go back to Hong Kong to make sure he didn't get any ideas of tagging along. It's kind of lonely." "Then it settled! What about you two?" Sakura looked towards Tomoyo and Mia. "Do you want to sleep over, too? We need to have one extra-special get together before we do anything else!"  
  
Tomoyo lifted her camera, lowered her head, and sparkles filled the air around her. "A night sleeping by the side of my Sakura-chan? I wouldn't miss it for the world." Mia grinned and nodded. "It sounds like fun. I could use a vacation or at least a long nap."  
  
Sneakily, Aerin leaned over to Tomoyo and whispered. "I think we both know why Syaoran really wants to sleep over, don't we?" Tomoyo just giggled to herself.  
  
Sakura grabbed the key from around her neck. "But. I think we should leave now, sadly. But we'll come to visit someday!" Everyone smiled. "Be sure you do," Takumi said.  
  
"Bye bye!" "Ja ne!" "Sayonara!" The group said their goodbyes from a distance as Sakura summoned the Staff and used the Time Card.  
  
But as the light surrounded them they heard Aerin's voice. "Do not fear the future, for if you look deep within your hearts, you shall all find the courage to endure even the hardest challenge. I see that soon, your lives shall be placed on the line again. but do not fear. You will understand soon enough, as long as you hold your friends and families in your hearts."  
  
The wind blew through the leaves overhead. The bright sun was all that was in the sky, except for the occasional bird. In a flash of light, the 3 girls, 1 boy, and 1 Guardian beast appeared on the solid ground.  
  
"Ah. It's nice to be back in our own time." Kero said as he flew out of his hiding place and stretched. Sakura and Syaoran's eyes were shrinking to small dots, and Tomoyo was the first to notice this. "Is something wrong, Sakura? We're back in Tomoeda and we can go home, so you should be happy, right? Besides, you always look cutest when you're smiling."  
  
Sakura held one finger out in front of her. "Since when did we have one of THOSE at home?!"  
  
Everyone looked to where she pointed, only instead of seeing Syaoran, Sakura, or Tomoyo's home, they found. the Li Mansion.  
  
"WE'RE IN HONG KONG?!" Kero exclaimed. Mia slapped here face. "BAKA! I should have known. the Time Card would only take us through time, it wouldn't move us back to where we left from. We should have left for Japan BEFORE we used it!" Sakura had a tremendous sweat drop on her head. "Dad is going to be so mad when he finds out I'm in Hong Kong! But until then, he'll be worried sick! And when he finds me, I'll end up doing all the chores for 20 years!"  
  
Syaoran took a deep breath. "Now, everyone, just calm down. We're here, but in case you haven't noticed, we're at my house. We can ask my mother for help. I hope. now all we'll have to worry about the-"  
  
"NI HAO! SHAORAN-KUN!" Wump! Syaoran's body landed on the cold ground as a familiar voice cried out in his ear. "It's nice. to see you too, Meiling- chan." Sweat drops rolled down everyone else's heads as they stared with a bit of confusion.  
  
"Shaoran, I didn't know you and your friends were coming! I was so bored here! But I knew you'd come back! .Say, what are the rest of you doing here, too? Is he giving you all a tour?"  
  
Kero flew to the excited cousin of Syaoran and got up next to her face. "Actually, brat, we're here on a bit of a trip." Upon the word "brat," Meiling shoved the beast to the ground. "Actually," Tomoyo began with a lie," We were on a little sight-seeing tour of the Japanese Islands when we were blown here by bad weather. We thought it was still Japan, but." "Hmm?" Meiling wondered. "That would have to be quite a storm to blow you all the way down here. And you don't look like you're shipwrecked. though you, Shaoran, and you, Kinomoto, do look rather wet. But still, those would have to be some very rare storms to blow you all the way down here," she continued, obviously falling for Tomoyo's lie.  
  
"Actually," said a voice, popping up in the middle of the crowd. "Yamazaki- kun?!" The group all shouted and backed away. "Storms like this were once very common near China. It was a very dangerous time. Giant waves the size of sky scrapers would come crashing down on the coastline." "HOEEEEE!" Sakura exclaimed, once again falling for his tricks. "Were they really that tall?" Yamazaki smiled, lifting one finger in the air. "Actually, they were often larger. This was back in the time when China and Japan were still attached as one piece of land. The natives hated to clear up all the debris from the waves, so every year, they made a wall on top of the last wall until the waves couldn't reach over it!" "SUGOI! (Amazing!)" was the reaction of most of the crowd, except for Mia and Chiharu, who then showed up. "It's a lie." said Chiharu, but it fell upon deaf ears.  
  
"However," Yamazaki continued, "The wall was becoming too tall. After 50 years, the wall was over a 20 kilometers tall!" "How did they build something that tall?" Syaoran asked Sakura. She just shrugged, utterly clueless. "The wall was far too tall for its own good and began to crack. Eventually, it collapsed. This sent the upper part flying for thousands of kilometers and when it landed, it formed the Great Wall of China! The rest of the wall collapsed so hard it split China and Japan in two, and had enough left over strength to clog up any waterways to prevent most of these storms!" "Sugoi!" they all exclaimed once more.  
  
Suddenly, there was silence. "Ummm. Yamazaki-kun? What are you doing in China, anyway?" asked Syaoran. Chiharu suddenly appeared, started to choke Yamazaki for his lies, and pushed him away, but not before answering, "Three-day weekend at school. We decided to take a vacation here." There was once again a moment of awkward silence to digest what just happened.  
  
"Shaoran." Syaoran turned around to face another new person. "M-mom!"  
  
"I had a feeling I might have been seeing you here."  
  
Mia asked Kero, "But how could she know we'd be coming? Not even we knew we'd be here!"  
  
Yelan picked up a large painting. the one from the fountain! "I was reading in the study when I happened to glance at the wall. And I wondered how my only son and his friends managed to get into the wedding portrait of our ancestors who lived around 1,000 years ago." Everyone's faces reddened. "Umm. we. we have a really good explanation for that." Syaoran muttered.  
  
".And that's how we ended up here." Syaoran was standing in the middle of the living room. Meiling was sitting in a recliner, staring Kero down as he stood on her lap. Sakura Tomoyo, and Mia sat on the couch, as Syaoran's sisters leaned over from behind it, pinching their cheeks, rambling on for a long time on how cute they were.  
  
Yelan stood up and paced back and forth for a minute. Sweat ran down Syaoran's brow, as he stood as rigid as a steel pole. Yelan then went to a window and stared out it for a minute, sighed, and finally spoke. "I'm very disappointed that you didn't tell me of this. Especially since I knew it all from the very start." "NANI?! (WHAT?!)" The boy exclaimed, sweating worse than ever. "I knew you were up to something, I just did not know what. However, I can tell you've been handling this situation well, and, therefore, I will let you continue and I will also help you get home." Syaoran took a sigh of relief, thanked his mother, and bowed.  
  
"AHEM." Meiling coughed as she stood up. "If, though, you're thinking I'm going to just sit idly while my cousin fights the people who came here, you're wrong!"  
  
Syaoran sighed once more. This day must have been hard on him. "I knew you'd want to come along. So just hurry up and we can go. Let's borrow some spare clothes to dry off with and then mother is booking us a private flight to Tomoeda. We should be home by tonight, hopefully."  
  
5 hours or so later.  
  
Sakura's head leaned gently on Syaoran's shoulders as they sat in their seats onboard the plane. Both of them were asleep, as were Tomoyo, Kero, Mia, and Meiling. Li's butler, Wei, was also coming back, though, as well. The plane landed safely and they were all let out. As soon as they reached the ground, they all stretched and cracked their bones. It was such a relief to be able to move around freely again. A taxi pulled up (obviously ordered) which took them into Tomoeda after a half hour's drive. Tomoyo paid the driver and they all got out. "Hoeee. It's 9 pm! Touya and dad are back! They're going to be mad." Tomoyo smiled. "Don't worry, just leave that part to me!"  
  
Sakura smiled and held on to her new Chinese clothing. "On the bright side, we did get new outfits, so we're not wet anymore!"  
  
A speeding car drove by, but not before hitting a giant puddle and spraying Sakura and Syaoran only with a wave of water.  
  
".Hoeee." the two wet friends sighed aloud.  
  
Slowly, Sakura went to the front door and opened it. Immediately, she found herself face to face with her older brother. "O-onii-chan!" He rested up against the wall. "I think we'll be needing an explanation as to why the monster is coming in late at night without warning, making dad worry? .I'd also like to know. why you're dressed like you're in China, soaking wet and." Suddenly, Touya's eyes met Syaoran's. "What is HE doing here?"  
  
Tomoyo stepped up. "Konnichiwa, Kinomoto-san. It's my entirely my fault. You see, I was having them over at house, trying to film a reenactment of special scene from a Chinese movie I love, but we got distracted and didn't realize the time. Both of them wanted to hurry home, but they tripped into a puddle together, but rather than be even more late, they decide to come here."  
  
Fujitaka then came to the door. "Sakura-san! Thank goodness! It was getting late and I was worried. Where were you?" "It's alright, dad," Touya said, "Daidouji explained it to me. They were just busy." Fujitaka smiled with his eyes closed. "I see. Well, it's a simple mistake. Say, all your friends, can they stay for dinner?" Sakura smiled. "Hai! That sounds great! But. ummm. I was wondering. maybe they could stay over for a sleepover? It would just be myself, Tomoyo, Mia, Meiling, and Syaoran." Fujitaka smiled. "Sure! I don't see anything wrong with that." Touya growled and pointed at Syaoran. "You want HIM to sleep in the same room as Sakura?" "Why? What's wrong with that?" their father asked. "Sigh. nothing. just forget it." "Well, it's only fitting, seeing as you have a friend over tonight."  
  
"Hoe? You have a friend here, onii-chan?"  
  
"Good evening, Sakura-san!" Yukito popped out. Sakura began to blush. "Y- Yukito-san. Good evening! I. err. ummm. we better get to the dinner table fast, r-right?" The entire group quickly ran inside, all except for Touya and Yukito.  
  
Touya just stood there and growled. "Dammit, they know I hate that boy! He shouldn't be allowed to come near my little sister." Yukito chuckled. "You really do have a sister-complex, you know." "Shut up. I just. I can't explain it. I have a bad feeling about tonight."  
  
Eriol leaned up closely to the light of his fire. "Master, is something the matter?" Spinel Sun asked, his face still buried in a book. "I have a horrible feeling. A force is coming. a face against us." Suppi closed his book. "What are you saying? We aren't in any danger."  
  
Eriol sat silent for a moment. "I've had this feeling of dread for a while, but I hate to admit it. The only reason I wasn't following Kinomoto into these time periods is because of it. I've needed the time to understand. This is a very peculiar premonition. but I have finally figured it out. Koji is up to something no good. If he succeeds, it will be the end of not only myself, you and Ruby Moon, Kinomoto and her family, and her friends, but of many more people as well."  
  
Suppi seemed a bit more worried at this point. "That. that is ridiculous. Koji could never do that much damage." Eriol shook his head. "No, last night, I had a vision in a dream. It was the hardest dream I've ever had to sort out. But the vision is clearer in my mind. Koji's next victim will be. Clow Reed."  
  
To be continued. 


	25. Tranquility Disturbed

^^;; Just the usual things: Sorry for being so late, I'm too lazy, etc. etc. I have the next chapter, though. Word of warning though: The first half or ¾ or 7/8 has absolutely nothing to do with the overall story. Mainly, it's just cute/funny scenes I inserted for the sake of being cute/funny. ^^ You've been warned..  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 25  
  
Tranquility Disturbed  
  
Quietly, without a problem, dinner went on at the Kinomoto residence, even more serene than usual. (Sakura hadn't needed to stomp on Touya's foot the entire time.) Having finished a specialty of his, Mr. Kinomoto and everyone dined upon his famous Modern Yaki. Even Touya and Kero seemed to leave each other alone.  
  
"Delicious!" Meiling finally said, picking up her plate. "Thank you," Fujitaka said while smiling. "That was very good, Mr. Kinomoto," Yukito said as he cleaned up as well. "That's rather unusual. Only 5 servings? I thought you usually ate about 7 at least," Touya noted. "Oh, no, I just haven't had as much of an appetite as of late. It's the strangest thing. I just haven't felt 'right.' Like I'm missing something. On second thought, I'm still hungry!" The young boy grabbed a few more plates and continued to shovel down his food, mouthful after mouthful, and plate after plate.  
  
"It's obvious Yue is sensing what we've been doing," Kero hypothesized from under the table. "Still, since you haven't transformed all the cards into Sakura Cards yet, he's too weak, so that kid's going to be hungry no matter how worried he is."  
  
"Huh?" Sakura's dad, Yukito, and Touya turned to see what had made the noise, only to see Sakura struggling to hide something. "Ah. hehehe I. errr. COUGH. COUGH. I had something stuck in my throat. choking a little bit."  
  
Her brother laughed. "It sounded a lot more like a growl from a monster." Sakura then had the urge to, but didn't, use the Big Card to crush her older brother. "I'm not a monster! That was just a cough! Only a-ahh. ahh. ACHOO!" Sakura sneezed, for real.  
  
"ACHOO!" Syaoran sneezed, too.  
  
Yukito put on a look of concern. "Wait a minute, both of your clothes are still wet. Didn't you change?" Sakura shook her head. "We. thought it would be alright to wait until after dinner." Syaoran nodded in agreement. "Sniff. Don't worry, we'll be fine."  
  
"Nonsense," Meiling said with almost uncharacteristically large signs of concern. "Go change or you'll catch a cold. I'm not going to let my favorite cousin get sick for being careless!" "Alright, we'll go, we'll go." Sakura said in exasperation to the overwhelming pleas of her friends.  
  
A minute later, Syaoran and Sakura were in her room. Sakura stepped into her closet. "Ah, here we go!" She pulled out two outfits: one, a pair of pink pajamas with yellow buttons for her, and she found one of Touya's old gray shirts and green shorts for him. "Thanks," the boy said grabbing them. They both began to try and remove their wet clothes.  
  
Then they noticed each other and their face reddened, and both hastily stopping.  
  
Errr. ANOTHER minute later. Syaoran sat up against Sakura's door. She was the one inside changing. Mia and Tomoyo giggled, watching from the side of the stairs. "I was wondering how long it would take them to notice that," Mia said, barely able to keep her voice down.  
  
Sakura emerged, and then Syaoran went in and changed. Tomoyo, Mia, and Meiling also took turns after them to change. Tomoyo wore a white pajama- dress with lace at the bottom that went down to her ankles. Mia had an old blue shirt with a pair of tan cloth pants. Meiling was clad in a white shirt with the Li Clan symbol on it and red pants. They all then met downstairs to watch a movie.  
  
WHRRRR  
  
Tomoyo fed the video into the VCR and sat down on top of her sleeping bag where the coffee table once was. "It's all set up! Everyone comfy? Then lets start the movie and the slumber party!" Kero-chan poked his head out from Tomoyo's sleeping bag to watch the movie when Touya, Fujitaka, and Yukito went upstairs.  
  
While the film (a romantic comedy, of course. Tomoyo said something about it being appropriate, but Syaoran and Sakura had no idea what she meant.) was starting, Sakura stretched out on one sofa while Syaoran did the same on the other.  
  
"Ahhh, our trip is over for now. It feels so good to be home!" Sakura smiled and took off her socks. "It just feels so good to lie back, stretch out and even wiggle your toes!" So, she did so. Tomoyo giggled, muttering about how cute it was. The movie starting credits were rolling.  
  
An hour passed with no event.  
  
He leaned over to her. "There's. been something. I've wanted to tell you for the longest of time." "Yes? What is it?" "Well, as we've been together, we've gone from enemies to friends. and. well. I'm not good with this sort of thing but. I. I. I just can't hold it in any longer! I LOVE YOU!" ".I. I don't know what to say. No, I do know what I want to say. I. I love you, too! I always have!" "Then. let us say no more." They embraced right there. and the words "THE END" appeared before them. The credits began to roll and there was a moment of silence.  
  
The room was dark, save for the light of the TV, and the darkness had an effect on all of the children and guardians in the room. They began to yawn and yawn. "That. was such a beautiful movie, wouldn't you agree? Such a lovely ending." Sakura and Syaoran nodded. "Hai, it was," Syaoran said, "but I can't help but feel that it was somehow familiar." Sakura put a finger to her cheek and wondered, "You know, I thought the same thing. I've seen this scenario before. But where? Mia? Do you know? Mia? Mia, are you awake?"  
  
There was no reply. The room was dead silent. "Tomoyo? Kero?" No reply. "They must have fallen. asleep. Yawn. I guess we should go to sleep as well, don't you think, Syaoran-kun? .Syaoran-kun? I think. maybe he. just. Yawn." The emerald of Sakura's eyes slowly faded as her eyelids shut tight.  
  
Tomoyo just giggled silently, not even letting the other's know she was able to hear it all. "Hehehe. That movie always has reminded me of Sakura- chan and Li-kun together." She closed her eyes and fell asleep.  
  
"Mmph." Syaoran mumbled in his sleep as he felt something touch his side. "Syaoran? Are you awake?" He sat up. "I am now, Sakura? Mmm?" He looked at the clock on the VCR. It was reading 2:38am. "Is something the matter?" "I'm cold. I don't know what it is. I'm so cold I can't sleep." He put his hand on her cheek. "You're right, you're freezing. You'll catch a cold. Especially since your hair is still a little wet. Well. umm." His face started to redden. "You. can sit here next to me to warm up if you want. I'm pretty cold, too." She smiled back. "Really? Arigatou!"  
  
She sat down beside him, pulled his blanket over them both, and rested her head on his chest. Syaoran's heart started to race. "Hoe? You're even warmer all of a sudden. and why is your heart racing like that?"  
  
"Ummm. err. I." "GASP! I. I think I know what it is!"  
  
Syaoran's eyes shrunk and his face became even redder. His heart was beating so fast he couldn't count the beats. "You. you know?!" Sakura nodded and smiled. "I finally see why you're like this!"  
  
Syaoran couldn't believe it! Could Sakura really see that easily into his heart? Could she really know how he feels?  
  
"You saw the snow out the window and were so excited, but you wanted to keep it a surprise for me for later!"  
  
Syaoran fell down to the ground. "Snow. That's crazy. say, what did she mean by that? It's not winter! Sakura, what were you talking about? It's not winter! How. could. there." His eyes bulged nearly out of their sockets and his jaw dropped. Outside, there was a blizzard as he looked out the window. "It. it. can't be."  
  
He stepped outside to see it was indeed true. It was snowing. At least 10cm had already piled up. Sakura was already outside, running around on the porch, laughing like it was the first time she had seen snow.  
  
Syaoran leaned up against the door, chuckled, and then smiled. "What happened to 'I'm so cold I can't sleep?' You look like you're having fun in just pajamas." Sakura immediately stopped in her tracks and started to shiver. A sweat drop rolled down her head. "I g-guess I was h-having s-s-so much f-fun I didn't n-notice!" She turned to go back in and get some warm clothes, but before she got very far, she felt a burden upon her shoulders and she became a tad warmer. She turned to see Syaoran, placing a jacket on her, He was holding a pair of boots and mittens for her as well.  
  
He had his own set of clothes, too.  
  
Both of them didn't seem to care how this phenomenon had occurred, going from a hot day to near blizzard-like conditions overnight. They just played together, not really caring about anything.  
  
"Hey, where'd you go?" Syaoran asked, as Sakura mysteriously disappeared from the front and side yard. "HERE I AM!" A pile of snow fell from the roof and landed right on Syaoran, covering him entirely, but not for long. His head popped out. "Hey, you used a Card to get up there! No fair!" He grabbed a pile of snow, rolled it into a ball, and threw it at high speeds at Sakura, though she ducked back down and it missed. She gave a little scream, then leaped down with the Jump Card.  
  
The snowball fight continued for another 5 minutes until they were both too tired to continue. They both sat down on the front porch and breathed heavily. "Well, that was so much fun!" Sakura exclaimed in a moment of hyper happiness. Syaoran nodded. "Yeah, it was. But I still wonder. where did all this snow come from? I mean, it was a bit on the hot side yesterday. now it's below freezing? Doesn't that seem a bit strange? Could it be a task for you? Like when these strange things happen at night to change a Clow Card?" Sakura shook her head. "I don't think so. Every time that has happened, I've sensed Clow Reed nearby, but right now I don't sense anything like his magic."  
  
Eriol waved his wand through the air and the vision of Sakura on the porch faded.  
  
"Oh, my dear pupil and descendant. I wish I could be the one to claim fault for this phenomenon, but it is not I who has caused it. The hour draws near."  
  
He put his staff away.  
  
"The hour upon which I may have to reveal myself to you may come sooner than planned. But there is no alternative. And for now, all we can do is pray for more time."  
  
"It's starting to get really cold! Maybe we better head inside," suggested the young Clow Mistress in training, Sakura. They both stood up. She smiled warmly again and said, "Thank you, Syaoran-kun. It's been a lot of fun." He nodded and blushed. "It's alright, but we better get inside before someone notices we're gone." His friend nodded back. But as they went inside.  
  
"HOE!" In an instant, Sakura's foot caught a sheet of ice. She began to slip backwards. Her feet came out from under her and she was almost completely flat put. A look of fear glazed her face. She was going to hit the ground. "SAKURA!" He leaped forward, thrusting his on body into hers. His flying tackle succeeded as his shoulders slammed into her shoulders and they were both thrown back a meter or so.  
  
A pile of snow softened the fall as they landed away from the ice. Syaoran was at first relieved they were both safe. Then he reddened, as she did. They were safe. but found themselves on top of one another. arms around each other.  
  
Lip to lip.  
  
All was still. all was quiet. They were stuck mouth to mouth. But they couldn't stop. Both turned bright red. The soft, soft snow seemed to muffle all of the noise surrounding them.  
  
They were both embarrassed half to death. but neither. knew how to stop. Or maybe they just didn't want to.  
  
Suddenly, Syaoran got the nerve and jumped up. His face was completely red. "G-G-G-Gomen nasai! I'm so sorry! That was all my fault! I didn't. I didn't hurt you, did I?"  
  
She shook her head violently. "N-no, I was feeling good. No! Ummm. I meant I felt fine."  
  
Suddenly, there was a crash and the ground seemed to move from beneath their feet. They turned to the door to see an irate Touya. "Y-y-you! Why. I. You.. ARGH! I come down. thinking I heard a burglar. And I find. you. both. HOW COULD YOU?!" His forehead looked like it was going to explode. But a friendlier Yukito (who had been studying in Touya's room until he accidentally fell asleep) popped up over Touya's shoulder and gave a heartwarming smile. "Wow, that's great, you two!"  
  
"Hoe?" Sakura and Syaoran faced each other for a minute and looked back. "What's great?" Yukito laughed, "Well, I knew you two were friends but I never expected to see you both going so far so soon! You must really care about each other." The two of them began to blush frantically. "It-it-IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" Syaoran screamed. Sakura nodded feverishly and said, "It's true! It. may have looked like something. but. ummm. well, it wasn't! I just was about to fall and he caught me and. errr. ummm. that happened. It wasn't what it looked like!"  
  
Touya undoubtedly wasn't paying attention. He just gave Syaoran a stare so cold that if looks could kill, he'd have died 20 times over. He had heard all that he wanted to hear. However. he then noticed something else, as did Yukito. "Hey. is it. snowing? This early in the year? After a really hot day?" Sakura scratched the back of her head and laughed nervously. "Yeah, I guess it is. That's why we came out here. but I don't know how it exactly happened." Touya rubbed his head like he had a headache and walked back. "Fine, we can think more about this after we finish getting a good night's sleep. See you all later then." But before leaving, he poked his head outside again. "Oh, and you, brat, if I EVER see you flirting with my sister or anything like that again, I'll personally kill you. Got it?"  
  
Sakura and Syaoran just sat there in the snow, completely speechless as to what to say. Touya walked back up the stairs. Yukito couldn't help but chuckle out loud the whole time. "Oh, shut up," Touya said, aware of why he was laughing.  
  
"Well. this has been a very eventful morning." Sakura said. "Let's leave things as they are and try to get to bed before we accidentally wake the others."  
  
They both snuck in very quietly, removing their boots and coat, and then tiptoed across the floor.  
  
"THAT WAS JUST TOO INCREDIBLY AND UNBELIEVABLY KAWAII!" Both of their eyes became just little dots when they came to see the entire room replaying what just happened on the VCR thanks to Tomoyo's video camera that had been hiding in the window. They were beet red.  
  
Tomoyo turned away from the TV for a moment and her eyes filled with stars. "My dear Sakura-chan's first kiss, and I have it on video! I knew this day would come! I just never imagined my dear, sweet Sakura-chan would have it so soon. I'm so glad I was able to tape it." Mia turned and saw both of them there. "Heh. Well, here comes the happy couple now! Did you have fun outside?"  
  
Neither of them truly knew what to say. Kero rewound the tape and played the whole scene again on the TV. Tomoyo ran over and held Sakura's hand in her own, her eyes still bursting with tears of joy. "I just can't believe it has happened so soon! That was beautiful!" Tomoyo hugged Sakura extremely hard, making her turn even red, possibly due to a lack of oxygen. Kero floated over by Syaoran and gave him a nudge with his elbow. "Come on, you can tell us, you did the whole 'dive and kiss' thing on purpose, ne? It's pretty smooth." Syaoran gleamed furiously. "I most certainly did not! Sakura could have been hurt, slipping on the ice!"  
  
Tomoyo lifted up her camera. "Actually, I saw it all, and it wasn't ice. You were all surrounded by snow everywhere with no ice. Sakura slipped and tripped on your foot, Li-kun." The boy stood there in stunned silence. "You know. I do seem to remember. something hitting my foot. I thought it was the front step."  
  
"What's going on down here?" A drowsy voice came from atop the stairs. A moment later came slow paced sounds of barefoot steps being taken. The stairs creaked with each step. When the person reached the bottom, it was Fujitaka. He took his glasses from a pocket in his pajamas and flipped them open and took a look around. "What's all the commotion down here?" (Kero had dropped down and played stuffed animal on the table.)  
  
The girls and Syaoran all turned to him. "N-Nothing. we. ummm. just thought- " Sakura started to explain the situation but Fujitaka was distracted. Something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. He walked down and took a look at the TV. Kero had fallen on the remote and rewound the tape.  
  
The static glared across the screen for a moment before it started to play. The lens cap came off and they saw the living room while the camera was hoisted to the window. There, they could see Sakura and Syaoran talking. the slip. the kiss.  
  
Fujitaka just stood there and stared. "Is. this what I think it is?" Sakura blushed, hung her head low, and she nodded. "I thought so. It's that new romantic comedy I bought at the video store the other day!"  
  
Everyone in the room fell to the ground.  
  
"Well, at least I think it is. my eyes are always bad this early, and there appears to be a lot of snow. But, you know, that couple reminds me a lot of you, Sakura, and Li." Mia just laughed. "See? We told you, Sakura!" However, the young magician wasn't paying attention to the sarcastic comments, only to her father. "Well, I don't see nay resemblance. maybe you need to get more sleep, huh? Soon?" Fujitaka smiled and headed back upstairs. "I suppose I could use some more sleep. Sorry to disturb you, but please try to be a bit more discreet for the rest of the night." "Hai!" Sakura answered, "we will."  
  
Mia laughed. "I guess you didn't get all of that from your mother." "Hoe? Get what? I'm confused." The girl just smirked and turned away. "Exactly my point!" Mia had left Sakura completely speechless.  
  
Kero got up once Sakura's father had left and yawned. Everyone else yawned soon after. "Maybe we better gets some more sleep." Syaoran suggested. "Hai, I agree. We've had enough excitement for one morning." Tomoyo acknowledge. "What do you think Sakura? .Sakura?" The sounds of Sakura already fast asleep came about. Kero hovered by Sakura's face and pulled the covers of her sleeping bag up. "Well, looks like she had the right idea. But even if it were the wrong idea, you'd sooner be able to pick up this entire house with your bare hands than wake THIS sleepy head up." But by the time he finished saying it, everyone else had fallen asleep. Kero decided to follow along and fell asleep right there beside Sakura.  
  
Morning came just as always. What wasn't so normal was what they all saw when they looked outside. After Syaoran woke up, he saw the snow was still out there. "I've never seen this much snow except on top of a mountain, and it's not even winter yet!" Tomoyo stepped out from behind him. "Yes, it is quite unusual, but at the same time it's very beautiful. I wonder what could cause it to snow so early in the year." Mia got off the couch and turned on the radio in the kitchen. "Let's find out."  
  
"Zzzzzzzzzzzz. And now, for today's weather," said the newscaster. "According to our weather station, Tomoeda should be warming up to 25°C, however, our meteorologists are completely perplexed by what is actually going on. Our storm center employees have found it to actually be -25°C, a temperature never before seen in that area, especially before winter. Almost half a meter of snow fell on the area last night. It at least looks like the snow has stopped for now, but we can't be sure. We'll update you with all the information we get as we get it." Mia turned off the radio and turned back towards everyone in the living room. "Yes, this is rather peculiar weather."  
  
Sakura shivered and added, "And cold, too!" "Eh? When did you get up?" Mia asked, only to have Sakura reply, "I've actually been awake for a while. It's too cold to sleep!" Meiling nodded. "I had some trouble sleeping after last night, too." "I don't think it has ever been this cold here," Sakura added. "I can't take the heat or the cold."  
  
Fujitaka slowly came down the stairs. "Ohayo, Sakura-san, Daidouji-san, Stryfe-san, Li-san. It's pretty cold out, isn't it?" "Ohayo!" was the unanimous response. "Hai, it is cold outside! It's freezing in here, too!" Sakura added. Fujitaka smiled. "Well, then I guess I better make some nice, warm hot cakes! Does that sound alright?" All of their faces lit up. "Hot cakes! Alright!" Kero shouted, breaking his teddy bear like state. "Huh? Who said that?" Touya asked as he came down the stairs in just a pair of light purple pajama bottoms.  
  
Sakura laughed. "It. ummm. err. That was just me." She gave a very phony cough. "I had something stuck in my throat." Yukito popped up from behind Touya. "Well, I agree, I'm starving! Would it be alright if I stayed for breakfast?" Fujitaka just smiled. "Of course!" The doorbell rang. "Oh, can someone get that?" "I will!" Meiling shouted.  
  
"Hello!" said a young boy. "Ni hao! Say. I know you. from somewhere." Syaoran turned around and gasped. "Eriol? What are you doing here?"  
  
The young magician in disguise just smiled. "Oh, Hello Li-kun. It seems like a party or something. I hope I'm not intruding." Sakura shook her head. "No, of course not! Come on in." Fujitaka was still carrying a pan with a hotcake when he entered the room. "Who is it? Oh! A friend of yours, Sakura? Is he staying for breakfast?"  
  
"Me? Stay?" Eriol said in astonishment. "I don't want to be a bother. I just came to talk to Sakura." Everyone was smiling, except for Syaoran, whose face turned boiling angry as soon as Eriol mentioned Sakura's name. "Oh, don't worry, it's no bother." Fujitaka said. "We'll need to take out a second table for all the guests, anyway. Make yourself at home."  
  
Touya leaned against the closet door and said to Yukito, "Sheesh. With all of the monster's friends and brats along, you might not get the chance to eat the majority of the food like you usually do." But before he could finish that sentence, Touya felt a searing laser-like glare pierce through his heart as Sakura and Meiling took offense and stomped on both of his feet for the insult.  
  
As Touya was still on the floor holding his feet in pain, Fujitaka came back out and announced that breakfast was ready.  
  
It was a very nice breakfast. Eggs, egg rolls, hot cakes, juice, and everything else you could imagine for breakfast. Everyone took their time eating (Even Yukito, only eating an entire hot cake every 5 seconds), and discussed the peculiar weather. "Yes, it is quite strange. According to my radio, it was supposed to be warm and dry last night and today." "Ours said something similar," said Mia. Touya stuffed another bite into his mouth but still said through the food, "All I know is it's a pain in the butt. You brats may have the day off, but Yuki and I don't." Yukito then nudged the big bully in the arm and smiled, "There's no need to be like that. You know you were looking forward to today. We were going to go biking, remember? The trail shouldn't have any snow, since the school takes care of it."  
  
Eriol put his glass down and politely nodded towards Sakura. "Oh, that reminds me why I came here in the first place. You see, we may not have any school today, but our teacher decided to have a little picnic in the park so he can discuss a few things about snow and weather, being it such a perfect time to do so." the group smiled back. "That sounds like a lot of fun," Sakura said.  
  
"Excellent." Eriol said as he held Sakura's hand. He brought her nimble fingers to his lips, kissed them and said, "Of course, it would be even better if I could have as lovely a partner as you to escort me to the park." Sakura's cheeks reddened, while Eriol smiled, Fujitaka, Meiling, Touya and Eriol stared in shock, Syaoran growled in anger, and Tomoyo videotaped it all with the air glistening around her.  
  
Fujitaka turned to Tomoyo, who actually seemed attentive, despite her gazing over Sakura, and asked, "And they're like this everyday?"  
  
Syaoran slammed his hands down and yelled, "Well, as a matter of fact, Sakura was coming with ME today!" His face was afire with embarrassment and anger.  
  
Touya just sighed deeply shook his head. "She's not even 13 yet and the boys are fighting over her. She really is a monster."  
  
After breakfast, Eriol got up to the door and walked to the door. "Thank you, Mr. Kinomoto. That was delicious. And if Sakura-chan wishes to be escorted by Li-kun here, I guess I'll see you her later at the park. Farewell!" He closed the door, but his presence still angered Syaoran, whose flaming eyes seared still at where the wizard would be standing.  
  
"Well, that went well." Suppi said while lying on the top of the hedge. "No, it didn't," replied Eriol. "I could tell easily that none of them had the faintest clue that this is no ordinary storm." Suppi floated up and landed on his master's shoulders. "Well, then, just one last question: Why did you take time to flirt with the girl and torture the boy?" Eriol just smirked. "Well, I just find it a bit easier to work and think if I've had some fun first."  
  
20 minutes later, Sakura, Mia, Tomoyo, and Meiling all emerged from Sakura's room after finishing getting dressed. Sakura headed downstairs and said, "Can we go to the park, now?" Fujitaka turned around. "I don't know. I'd prefer if you had at least an extra warm jacket, but I don't think we have enough for all of you." Tomoyo smiled. "You just let me worry about all of that!" She opened up a cell phone and pressed a special button on it. A minute or two later, a van pulled up in the driveway. A woman in a suit and sunglasses emerged and opened the back doors as everyone stood in amazement. The inside of the truck was laced with all sorts of clothes. Sweat drops rolled down everyone's heads.  
  
"Do I really want to know what you do with a truck of clothes following you, Daidouji?" asked an inquisitive Meiling.  
  
Another few minutes later, everyone had found a coat. Sakura took a nice and warm pink winter jacket and Syaoran took his usual green. Everyone had grabbed a scarf, too, except Syaoran. "No scarf?" inquired Tomoyo. "That won't do." "He can share with me!" Sakura said. "NANI?!" Syaoran's face turned as red as a fresh coat of paint again.  
  
But it was too late. Sakura came up to him, completely oblivious to Syaoran's embarrassment and wrapped one part of he scarf around him as well, keeping them close. It felt much warmer, but his face became warmest of all.  
  
"All right, let's go!" Sakura chanted again and again as she and Syaoran marched off to the park. "Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" Mia followed closely behind and Kero was in Sakura's handbag.  
  
Tomoyo started to walk, but something latched onto her shoulder. She turned her head to see a slit-eyed Meiling glaring at her. "Tell me, Daidouji, if there were no more scarves, what is that hidden behind your back?" Tomoyo let her hands appear out in the open and there was a green scarf in them. Meiling sighed. "It couldn't be any more obvious that you're trying to set those two up." But her sigh and frown quickly turned to a semi-evil smile and a thumb up. "That's why I'm going to help you get those two together so you can get them both on tape and together once and for all!" The two devious friends shook hands.  
  
"Konnichiwa," was the reaction of most of their friends upon Sakura and Syaoran's arrival to the park. "Konnichiwa," Sakura answered back. "Hello, Sakura-chan." Said Rika. "I'm glad you could come. Say, why are you and Li- kun sharing a."  
  
"Actually, sharing scarves is an ancient tradition here in Japan." Yamazaki suddenly popped up, causing Sakura to cling onto Syaoran in abrupt surprise. "You see. It all started-" The lie was suddenly interrupted by a loud choking noise as Chiharu came from behind him. "What did I tell you about lying?!" She started to drag him off, but he didn't seem to mind. "Its just back in the 14th century, scarves were made of wood and." "Yeah, yeah, we know your lies. I told you yesterday on the plane ride home you couldn't lie again! I've never heard of anyone getting temporarily banned from a country just for lying to too many people. But you managed to do it."  
  
As soon as the two left, Mia asked. "Didn't we just see them in China yesterday? How could. Never mind. I'm not sure I want to know." Meiling just sighed and sat down on a pile of snow. "That kid really scares me sometimes." Syaoran started to become brightly colored in the face again, but not because he was embarrassed. "Err. Sak. Sakura. Yamazaki-kun. gone. You can. l-let g-go of my th-throat. now." He dropped down as soon as Sakura let go. "Oops. gomen nasai, Syaoran-kun. I guess I forgot."  
  
"Konnichiwa, students!" Tereda-sensei approached from behind them. "I'm glad to see so many of you could come. So, let's get started. As a surprise, we found the lake perfectly frozen, so the school and I decided to rent enough ice skates for everyone!" A loud cheer of approval erupted from the crowd of kids. Everyone rushed to the pond just a few meters away to find it a perfect piece of ice; it was as flat as glass and twice as beautiful as the most perfectly created piece of glasswork.  
  
Sakura gleefully sat down to took off her shoes. She held one cute foot in the air and grabbed a skate. but as she did, she noticed a shadow over her. It was Yamazaki, popping up again. "Hey, everyone. Did you know that Sakura here has magic powers?"  
  
"HOEEEEE?!" Sakura's face beamed in surprise. "How does he know?!" Her eyes grew gigantic, as did the eyes of her friends. Syaoran stepped forward in an attempt to cover the secret. "I-I don't know WHAT you're talking about! She. She doesn't have any powers!" It was too late, though, as all the kids circled around. "Really? Sakura, is it true?" "Wow!" "That's so cool!" Yamazaki stood up. "See? She was in Japan hundreds of years ago!" He held out a piece of paper with a golden blur on it. It was a newspaper clipping. The title read "Statue of Ancient Village Goddess Found on Coast." Meiling bent forward to get a close look. A puzzled look went over her face. "What the. That statue. looks just like. Kinomoto?!"  
  
"Yamazaki, are you telling lies again?" Chiharu asked. "No, it's true! It's true! Look for yourself!" Chiharu grabbed the paper and slowly read it. She glanced it over once or twice. "And. what part of this would show Sakura has any powers? It's just a statue. It only has a little resemblance. That could be anyone, and Sakura wasn't even born back then!" "Well, yes, but." It was too late for Yamazaki to clear up his "lie." All the kids left and went onto the ice.  
  
He scratched his head and laughed. "Well, I guess that one was pretty unbelievable, ne? See you later, Kinomoto, Li, Daidouji!" He dropped the newspaper clipping behind and Mia picked it up.  
  
Sakura just sighed in relief that her secret was safe. "Tomoyo." Mia stated a few moments later, handing her the paper. "If you remember, you talked to the village chief right before we left for China a while back. This SAME village. Care to explain how our friend here became the idol and goddess of an ancient village and turned into a statue?" The ecstatic girl just giggled, shaking her head in laughter. "Well, how could I leave the village without revealing to the world her cuteness for eternity?"  
  
Meiling just rolled her eyes and got onto the ice. Tomoyo, Mia, and the others followed closely behind.  
  
It was a grand time skating. Kids were everywhere on the ice, skating to their heart's content. But something was wrong. "Say, where is Eriol?"  
  
"Hello, my friends. How are you all?" Eriol skated up to them with his usual warm smile and friendly attitude. "I'm glad you could all come. Hmm? Sakura-chan, you look a bit flushed. Did something happen?" Sakura laughed. "N-No, I'm fine, I'm fine."  
  
The snow started to come down again. Light and glistening pieces of it fell gently from the sky at a slow pace. "Hey, it's snowing again!" said Meiling, pointing out the obvious. She caught a flake in her palm and admired it for a brief instant before it vanished and became just a drop of water on her hand. "Sigh. I love snow." She said. "I just never figured we'd have it at this time of the year. I'm not complaining, though."  
  
The other kids on the ice stopped in place on the ice and admired the oncoming frozen droplets.  
  
It was dead quiet; no one said a word. No one, that is, except Eriol. "So. it's coming."  
  
"Hoe? Eriol? Did you say something?" Sakura crept ever closer to the young mage, as he stood in the middle of the ice, staring straight up into the gray, cloudy sky. "It's coming. It's started. He's beginning the final movement."  
  
That was when the tranquility ended.  
  
The wind roared and the snowflakes became much larger. The clouds almost instantly turned black. Small bits of hail mixed into the torment. It pounded down with a thunderous force, stinging greatly anyone who was hit by the balls of ice. The wind picked up. Kids fell to the ice, unable to stand up in the gale. The snow was seen increasing on the ground. One could not see 5 meters in front of his or herself.  
  
"EVERYONE! QICKLY! WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE! HEAD TO THE ENTRANCE! STAY TOGETHER!" Terada-sensei called out to his students, but it proved futile as even he had trouble standing. Sakura, Syaoran, Meiling, Rika, Yamazaki, Chiharu, and everyone else were blown to the ground and scattered in every direction.  
  
"IT'S NO USE!" The teacher once again cried out. "LET'S JUST STICK TOGETHER! HOLD ONTO SOMEONE AND WE'LL WAIT IT OUT!" Every boy and girl grabbed hold of one another and attempted to stand. It worked well, mostly. But Rika-chan couldn't hold on. She held onto Tereda-sensei's hand, but the wind was too hard. "RIKA-CHAN!" He called out.  
  
Sakura watched in horror as her friend rolled away into the darkness. She couldn't take it. She ran from the group after her. "SAKURA!" Tomoyo called out in worry, but Syaoran and Meiling held her back.  
  
It was utterly frigid. One couldn't feel anything but cold in the snow. It was so dark with the clouds and snow that nothing was visible outside 5 meters around you. You couldn't tell the difference between snow and ice. This proved a pain as Sakura didn't see the frozen pond beneath her and slipped. She started to fall headfirst. She braced for the pain of her head hitting the ice, but the pain never came. Instead, she opened her eyes to see only another pair of eyes staring back.  
  
"E-Eriol?" "It has begun." "Huh?" "I have Rika. let's get back to the group. He's attacking." Eriol was holding Rika in his left arm, but she was barely awake. "Hoe? Who?" Eriol held up a long icicle in his right hand. "These are coming." ".What is it?" "No, don't waste time here. Go. Mistress of the Clow."  
  
Sakura's jaw dropped. "You. know. but. How can you." Eriol pointed straight towards the class. "I SAID GO!"  
  
Sakura turned and ran back to the group with all her might. "I HAVE TO SAVE THEM!"  
  
To her good fortune, the group was unharmed and everyone was sticking together. But then. a sensation came to her. A feeling of immense power. Overhead it loomed. a dark force of magic moving down fast.  
  
PFFF! PFFF!  
  
Several objects hit the snow. A young boy from the class saw it and picked it up. "Oh my. God. It's snowing. spikes or something! They'll hit us!" "Everyone get down and hold onto each other!" The teacher called in reply to this horrid turn of events.  
  
Syaoran, however, did not duck. HE ran to Sakura as soon as he saw her and screamed, "What the Hell is going on?" Sakura didn't have time to give a full answer, however. "It's Koji but. There are a bunch of spikes of ice falling down here; I can feel it! They will kill everyone!"  
  
She grabbed the key around her neck. "What are you doing?!" Syaoran asked. "If you use your powers here. There has to be another way!"  
  
"No!" She shouted. A look of distress and concern crossed Syaoran's face. "Sakura. Please." A tear rolled down Sakura's cheek. "I'm. sorry. I didn't mean to snap. It's just. There is no other way. I'm sorry. It's time to reveal. I can't let my friends die!"  
  
Sakura ran to her friends and classmates, all ducking down on the ground, praying not to be struck down by the incoming power. She leapt into the center of them all and looked straight up.  
  
"Kinomoto! Get down! Please!" Her teacher called out to her, but she did not heed the warning. "I can't. I have to do this."  
  
She grasped the magical key that hung from her neck and released her magical energy.  
  
"Key that hides the power of the Stars, reveal your true form to me! By our contract, I, Sakura, command you! RELEASE!"  
  
A great light covered Sakura and a magical wind swirled around her. The key lengthened into a full-length staff suspended in the air. Reaching high up, Sakura brought her hand down and grasped the wand with one hand. With the other, she grabbed a card from her bag.  
  
Her classmates all stood in awe, watching their fellow friend use her magic for the first time before their eyes. No one uttered a sound. Even the wind seemed to silence.  
  
Sakura hurled the card straight up. "FIERY! Destroy all those that threaten us with your burning touch!" The demon of the Fiery Card rose straight into the sky and lit up the surrounding land.  
  
"Is. that. Sakura?! SAKURA! YOU MONSTER!" Touya screamed as he ran into the park. He got within 10 meters of her and he stopped in shock. "Sakura. what. What the Hell?! What the Hell is going on here?!"  
  
Sakura didn't acknowledge her brother's arrival. She just concentrated on the threat above. Into view appeared a group of objects hurdling from the stratosphere. The Spirit of the Fiery Card reached them and in one blast wiped out the majority of them. However, one thing became apparent to Sakura. From the sky, these weren't just shards of ice, they were some sort of magic attack!  
  
Sakura grabbed another card from her bag. "O, card that Clow has made, I command you to lose your form and be born again under your new master, Sakura! SHOT CARD!"  
  
Beams of energy flew from Sakura's staff, blasting away the remaining pieces of the attack still in the sky.  
  
All fell silent. Her classmates stood up. Touya just stood there in surprise. Everyone could only stare at Sakura. That is, until, Touya lost his temper. "SAKURA! I came all this way once the storm started just to see if my little sister was safe, when she wasn't telling me she had some sort of powers! I mean, I knew you were hiding something, but-"  
  
Sakura lifted one hand and signaled everyone to be quiet. They looked up. Even those without powers could feel a massive magical force. A large object surged down at an incredible speed. It was similar to the previous attack, but much more powerful.  
  
Eriol approached holding his staff. "So, it seems this may be the end. Koji wishes to kill us all."  
  
A moment of confusion was around them all. but everyone knew, despite their general unknowingness, that something bad and big was coming.  
  
To be continued. 


	26. Life, Death, Love

Konnichiwa! This chapter is a bit shorter, but I decided it was best to have a short update than no update. ^^;;  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 26: Life, Death, Love  
  
"It's coming. Koji knows we are here." Eriol said grimly. "I'll explain later, but he's trying to kill us badly, and he's growing more powerful by the minute."  
  
Sakura sighed. "I know. I know. And I don't know how come you have powers and I didn't want to reveal mine, but all of this comes second to the incoming danger." Eriol nodded. "I didn't wish to reveal my powers until the time was right, either, but now we have no choice. We have to do something." Syaoran stepped over slowly; each footstep seemed to echo with the crunching of snow. "So, Eriol. I knew you weren't who you seemed."  
  
Naoko-chan got up from the ground. Terada-sensei did the same, and slowly, so did everyone else. Most of the students just stared blankly into the sky. They knew something was going on, but they didn't know what to do. However, her friends and the teacher came to Sakura. "Kinomoto-san." That was all Terada was able to utter. "Have. Is it. Was that real?" Chiharu asked in disbelief. Sakura nodded. "I. I've had the powers for a year or two now." Eriol sighed. "I, too, will admit I have powers." "Me too," answered Mia. "Err. I don't really have too many, but. I can use a little." Tomoyo said. "I can use them too, seeing as we're all coming clean. But anyway, we're not out of danger yet, so why are we all standing around?" said Syaoran.  
  
Yamazaki smiled. "I never thought my saying you had powers was actually true. See? I don't always lie!" However, no one really paid much attention to him.  
  
"What's. going on? I think there's a ghost around! I LOVE GHOSTS!" Naoko said, looking in every direction, almost as if she expected (and wanted) someone to come up and grab her. "I don't know." Sakura said, "but I don't think we should leave the area." "Hmmm? Why not?" asked a puzzled Chiharu. "Because. It won't do us any good," answered Eriol in a nonchalant way, as if these things were a daily occurrence. "It's a long story. You see, a man named Koji killed Sakura-san here." "KILLED HER?!" Her friends all screamed in unison. "But she's standing right here," said Yamazaki, "and she appears to be alive." "This not really the time to be making up lies like he does," nodded Chiharu as she pointed to the closed-eyed Yamazaki-kun.  
  
"I'm not lying. Syaoran-kun here was able to basically go back in time and prevent it from happening. And. the man has held a bit of a grudge ever since. And now. He has enough power to do us all in."  
  
Suddenly, all felt quiet. "AUGH!" Sakura screamed. "I sense. something. Koji is. He's. THERE'S SOMETHING TRULY DANGEROUS, IT'S GROWING, AND IT'S COMING THIS WAY!" The class gasped and faced the stars, or rather where they WOULD be if a giant, blinding light weren't barreling down upon them.  
  
The was an enormous ball of light in the sky. One couldn't look up or he or she would be blinded almost instantaneously.  
  
All was quiet, until the sound of snow underneath someone's boots was heard once more.  
  
"Hello, my dear friends," was what the stranger within said boots first said. "That voice." Sakura said, not even realizing it was out loud. "KOJI!"  
  
The usually sarcastic and bumbling Koji was dead serious with a look of pure hatred on his face. "No more games, Kinomoto! I'm tired of you and your goody-goodies getting in my way!"  
  
Syaoran growled. "WE'RE getting in YOUR way? You're the one who has been trying to kill us for so long! If you would just--" "SILENCE!" Koji raised a hand in the air as he screamed, and then slowly lowered it. He breathed very heavily, as could be seen with each deep breath in the cold, crisp, dark air. "I have heard enough lies. You're the ones who have been in my way the entire time, and now there is no holding back. Die."  
  
With that said, the evil demon lifted his right hand and quickly brought it down. Whatever that giant, glowing ball in the sky was, it was now falling even faster and harder. Koji pointed straight up at the light overhead and said, "That light is actually a spell. a giant ball made entirely of pure Time magic. When it falls all the way and hits the ground, it will not only crush all of you, but it will open a portal to another dimension, allowing me access to where I need to go, on one last stop to rule the world! Seeing as this will be our final meeting, au revoir, adiós, ciao, sayonara, and good riddance!"  
  
The insane demon raised his left hand and sparks of magical energy surged forth from him. He grabbed the Mirror of Time with his right and aimed it right up at the light in the sky.  
  
Syaoran summoned his sword and charged. "You think I'll just let you do whatever it is you want to do?!" Koji lowered his right hand and a blast of pure magic came from it, throwing the boy back. "Shaoran!" Meiling ran over to her cousin and propped him up. "Are you okay?" The boy nodded. "Don't worry about me, he's up to something horrible, I can feel it!"  
  
The group of school kids backed slowly away. Murmurs of "Who is that?" "I'm scared!" and "What's going to happen to us?" could be heard.  
  
Koji turned to the kids. "Don't worry, it'll all be over in a moment. HRRRRRAH!" He raised his hands and the mirror again and quickly threw them down. The shining light in the sky moved down almost instantly until it was upon the kids.  
  
"SHIELD!"  
  
The light was blinding to all the kids. The whole park lit up like a perfectly sunny day. When everyone uncovered their eyes, they found Sakura standing directly under the giant ball of light. A blue shield lay between her and the raw power of the Time Magic, but it was plainly obvious that she could not hold it for long.  
  
"Get out of here!" Meiling screamed, trying to shoo the class away. Terada- sensei and all of the other kids quickly got the message and fled.  
  
"I CAN'T HOLD THIS FOR LONG! THE SHIELD CARD CAN ONLY TAKE SO MUCH!" Suddenly, the burden became much lighter. "E-Eriol-kun?" Indeed, the boy who had been causing her so much grief for the past few months was truly helping her. "Sakura," the young reincarnate of a sorcerer said, "this 'ball of light' is pure Time Magic! I fear that if it hits the ground, it could very well rip time and space apart!" Still concentrating her power into the shield, Sakura turned, shocked, and asked, "Why would Koji DO something like that?! He could kill himself, too!" Eriol shook his head. "Koji has lost his mind! He's gone completely insane! He's not using rational thought anymore. We have to stop his attack before it kills us all!"  
  
Once again, the burden became somewhat lighter as Syaoran pushed against the shield with his power, too.  
  
"Fools, do you think you can really hold out forever? With my mirror, I can only add to the pressure. You're only prolonging death."  
  
Suddenly, the load was lightened and Koji decided to have a little fun. He stopped the ball of pure time magic completely and levitated it a few meters higher into the air. Raising a hand, Koji removed a small ball of magic from the larger ball and hurled it at Sakura, who immediately ducked out of the way. "What's the matter, Kinomoto? These little ones won't kill you, I promise. They just tend to mess up ages, change your size, and generally be a giant annoyance. I thought I'd just make it a bit easier to fight you all, first. After all, fighting you all as a bunch of infants should be much simpler." The cold wind blew from the cold East bringing more snow, but it had no effect on the magic sphere in Koji's hand or the one levitating above them, as no mere natural force could disturb his magic powers.  
  
Suddenly, Touya stepped forward. "Hold on, you little punk. Who the Hell do you think you are? I don't care who you think you are, but if you threaten my little sister ever again." "You'll what?" Said Koji, as his face went from a smug smirk to an irritated frown.  
  
Touya threw the first punch. Koji ducked under it and followed up with an uppercut, but Sakura's onii-chan backed up and kicked his leg straight up, hitting Koji squarely in the jaw. The Time Mage was thrown into the air and landed a meter back in a snow bank.  
  
"Weakling," was the first slap to Koji's face from Touya's tongue. But it was not long before Koji came right back to his feet and continued fighting. He gave a sweeping kick to Touya's right leg, but as he fell, Touya kicked Koji in the side of his arm as he fell, knocking both of them down. "I don't know what you want, but I won't let you get away with it!" Touya was confused, but determined to put an end to this all. "Onii-chan, let us help!" Touya waved his hand, signaling for them to leave. "NO! I'm going to beat this guy. I can do it."  
  
Koji was the first to his feet. "Those are some tough words from someone with no magical powers, you know." Suddenly, in a deceitful move, Koji summoned a blast of fire from his palms right at Touya's head, but the older boy was able to dodge it by jumping to one side and sneaking up on the cheater. He began to put a strangle hold on him, and answered, "Actually, I do have the power to sense things, like that cheap move you just pulled. We're going to fight fair!"  
  
However, Koji was the last man expected to heed this call for fairness. From a distance, he called a ball of the pure time magic and caused it to fly at Touya's face. He ducked, but let go of Koji in the process. But before he could counter with a move of his own, the demon hit the ground and Meiling stood over him. "Fight fair? I've heard that one before. If you're going to cheat, we're all going to fight," she said. Koji leaped forward and threw another ball of magic at Meiling, but Mia shouted, "NOW!" Meiling jumped to one side and Tomoyo grabbed the necklace from around her neck and held it straight out. Immediately, it was absorbed into the jewel of the necklace and a blinding light surrounded her. When it died down, she was once more in her angelic form.  
  
Meiling and Touya gasped. "Daidouji?!" Was their unanimous response. Eriol told them, "We'll explain later. For now, do something!"  
  
"Too late!" Koji leaped into the air, high above his stationary ball of magic and started to hover. He slowly pushed it down by adding more and more energy. But it was once again stopped as a force of wind came from the ground and pushed it back. It was Sakura and Tomoyo, using their wind powers (Or rather, Tomoyo summoned wind while Sakura used Windy). "Quickly, someone has to figure out a way to stop that thing!" Touya snapped his fingers. "I've got it! I can feel it. At the center of it there is a weak point. A spot where there is less power than around it. If someone could split it through to there, it would probably disappear!" Eriol shook his head. "But that's suicide! Anyone who was to get deep enough in to do that would last three seconds at the most! The pure amount of time energy in there is enough to age a person to a hundred years or dissolve them into complete oblivion from aging below zero. The only ones who could do something like that would be people who cannot age."  
  
"You mean like us?" They all turned to see Keroberos in his true form, also with Yue. "Kero!" Sakura exclaimed. "I was wondering where you were."  
  
Launching himself into the air and spreading his wings, he replied, "Just leave it to us! Yue and I do not age. I knew that would be useful and I went to get him. Now, let us handle this! RAAAAGH!" He charged forward at the threatening sphere and Yue pulled back his bow and fired repeatedly. Kero was thrown back out at Meiling's feet and Yue's arrows bounced off something in the center, nearly hitting Tomoyo and Touya.  
  
"It's no good. There's some kind of shielding," Yue said. "We can't do anything from a distance and Keroberos' claws aren't powerful enough to break it."  
  
"No, but my sword is." Syaoran stepped up. Meiling gasped. "Shaoran, you can't! You'll be killed!" The boy didn't listen. He just prepared to jump. "Syaoran, no! You can't! I'll do it!" Sakura was determined to not let him go, but holding the said sphere up with Windy already distracted her. "Sakura. I'm sorry. I. There's something I've been wanting to tell you. but. I don't think. I can't say it." "Hoe?"  
  
"Sakura." Syaoran whispered. The wind howled as the world drew near silent. Sakura's face gleamed with shock and worry. She was still concentrating her power on Windy, but her mind was focused only on Li. "Sakura. I've. known this for a while. And since this could be. THE end. I. I. I LOVE YOU!"  
  
Sakura's eyes filled with tears and she recoiled in shock. However, before she could respond to the declaration of love, Syaoran turned away. "RRRAGH!" He leaped into the air right at the ominous ball and vanished within its blinding light.  
  
One second passed. Two seconds passed.  
  
The manifestation of time magic flashed brilliantly but then slowly faded out of existence. But nothing else could be seen. That is, until a familiar green hat floated gently in the wind to the ground.  
  
Syaoran was not there.  
  
To be continued. 


	27. Alternate Dimensions

HOEEEEEEEEEEEE! GOMEN! GOMEN! GOMEN! GOMEN! I'm SO very sorry! I didn't mean to take this long for this chapter. it's just, well, my editor need a little break, so I gave her a week off. she deserved it. Then she got so busy.. And then I took so long to re-correct it.. ^^;;; I'm SO sorry! I didn't want to leave at such a cliffhanger!  
  
Kero: You sure took your time!  
  
Wallcrawler: Pudding? ::holds out a cup of pudding::  
  
Kero: ::Eyes sparkle:: PUDDING! ::gobbles it up:: Well. ::stuffs face:: I guess I can forgive you THIS time.  
  
Wallcrawler: Well, I just hope you have something else to eat. This is quite a long chapter, but I may have made a few lot mistakes. I never actually saw the last episodes, so I had to base the actual chapter on what others have told me. So, if you spot a mistake. 1) e-mail me at wallcrawler86@aol.com and tell me how silly I am. or. 2) just pretend all this time travel stuff messed it up. ^^;; Enjoy! And I hope to get the next chapter out sooner.. But I'm moving on the 8th of March, 2003, so don't hold your breath. once again, I'm so sorry!  
  
Chapter 27: Alternate Dimensions  
  
".S-Syaoran.? Syaoran?" Sakura stuttered. She dropped her wand and walked silently to the ground where her friend. no, her love. had vanished. "Syaoran. he. he loved me?" She fell to her knees and picked up his hat. all that was left of him. Tears streamed down her red cheeks and she started to sob into the hat. "You can't! Don't leave me. I. I. I LOVE YOU, TOO! YOU CAN'T GO!"  
  
Koji slowly floated to the ground and frowned even more. "Idiot. You all brought this on yourselves. If you had never gotten involved." "YOU!" Sakura suddenly stood up and dried her tears. "No, this isn't our fault! YOU did it! You killed Syaoran! And I can't. I can't let this happen again! I have to capture you." Koji slowly backed up. "What did you say?"  
  
"Sakura." Tomoyo looked extremely sad and worried, still in her angelic form. "I'll help." she said. Kero and Yue both stepped forward. "Let us both help you." Touya walked up from behind Koji, who promptly noticed and moved to the side, starting to look worried. "I still have a score to settle with this punk."  
  
"No. Thank you all." A lone tear ran down Sakura's cheek. "But I'm going to do this alone. I will seal his evil power. It can't be released again."  
  
"O, card that Clow has made, I command you to lose your form and be born again under  
  
your new master, Sakura! SNOW CARD!"  
  
Suddenly, the blizzard around them stopped entirely. It was just a straight line between Koji and herself.  
  
"Give me one good reason to stick around! I don't have to fight you, I've wasted too much time here."  
  
"O, card that Clow has made, I command you to lose your form and be born again under  
  
your new master, Sakura! MAZE! PREVENT MY FOE FROM LEAVING!"  
  
The very Earth beneath Sakura and Koji as well as everyone else shook violently. Giant, green walls rose from the ground and enclosed the battlefield.  
  
"What. what IS this?!" Koji screamed aloud. "The Maze Card. You can't leave until I let the walls fall. Now, I. I have to stop you. I won't harm you, though. Don't worry about that. I won't sink to that level." Sakura started to cry again and she wiped a tear away, but it was not even a moment before her eyes were pouring with tears, glistening in the moonlight when they hit the snow covered ground. "Before you crush. another heart. I must contain you." Koji held out his mirror, which flashed and surrounded him with a golden aura, a shield. "SWORD!"  
  
A magical wind surrounded the staff and transformed it to a shimmering blade. Sakura lowered it, and with a look of utter despair on her face, she charged, swinging straight down through the shield, slicing it open and shutting it down entirely. "You foolish girl. won't you ever learn?" The boy reached into his jacket and pulled out a handgun.  
  
"Sakura-chan! Look out! He's going to shoot!" Sakura jumped to the side, but Koji still lifted his gun quickly.  
  
Bang.  
  
Sakura fell to the ground, and a loud clatter of metal on the ground was heard. Sakura lifted her head from the ground and saw Koji's gun on the ground. The demon held his hands as if he had just burned them over a hot stove. She turned in Yue's direction to see him holding his magic bow, aimed directly at Koji. "I should recommend to you, demon, that you do not try to do that again, or this time, I won't just hit your hands." The Master of the Mirror of Time heeded not the warning of the guardian and leaped for his gun, but another arrow hit it first and sent it flying away. Yue pulled back another arrow aimed at Koji's head as he lay on the floor. "I said not to try that again."  
  
Koji growled and stood up. He reached into his coat and unsheathed a medium- length sword. "Have it your way."  
  
A look of worry crossed over Touya's face. "But. Sakura doesn't know how to fence! She can't win in a sword fight! And she said she couldn't hurt him even if she had to." Tomoyo looked worried as well, but she reassured Touya. "Don't worry that much. Don't underestimate Sakura. She knows what she is doing. I just. her heart isn't too badly hurt to win."  
  
There was no sword fight, though. Sakura recalled the Sword Card. "Are you crazy? Take the Sword out, now!" Keroberos said. Sakura, however, lifted up another card.  
  
"O, card that Clow has made, I command you to lose your form and be born again under  
  
your new master, Sakura! THROUGH!" Just as Koji swung his sword, the girl disappeared through a wall of the maze. "What the Hell? Where did you go?" Suddenly, small little glowing dots floated from the sky. "Crap! What are those things? I better. not. EH?!" Koji turned around to see three Sakuras behind him, all armed with swords. He jumped in surprise, and swung, but the blade went clear through all of them and they vanished. Sweat dripped from his brow. "What is going on here?!"  
  
"Glow. Illusion." Eriol smirked as he hypothesized what had happened. Tomoyo turned to him and asked, with a look of grave concern, "What's going on here?" Eriol chuckled. "Isn't it obvious? Sakura is trying to change the rest of the cards. At the same time, she's playing a mind-game with Koji. She's trying to make him too paranoid to fight." Mia smirked. "She's getting better."  
  
Suddenly, Koji felt a presence behind him, but he heard nothing. He suddenly felt like he was being tied down and he hit the ground in complete silence. Windy had a hold on him. Not so much as the sound of breath or Sakura's footsteps could be heard. In his head, the demon's thoughts were running rampant. He couldn't see, hear, or even sense his foe until it was too late.  
  
However, the silence soon came to an end with a thunderous clash. Literally. Thunder crashed from overhead and a great cyclone appeared. Koji clung to the ground for dear life to the ground, but there was nothing to grasp. He was thrown into a wall painfully. As he sat up, Sakura reappeared. She held the newly transformed Glow, Illusion, Silent, and Storm Cards in her hand.  
  
"How can she." Koji coughed hard. He had taken quite a bit of damage.  
  
"Sword." Sakura called upon her sword, a blade created so well it can cut anything. She stood over Koji's gun, lying on the ground and cut the gun into 2 pieces. It was thrown in two directions in two pieces and the bullets fell out of their clip.  
  
"I can't do it." Sakura put away the Sword Card. "I can't keep fighting. it's all so very wrong. It won't solve anything. Arguing won't fix what is already done." Her eyes filled with tears and she hung her head. "I fought out of anger. I used my magic in rage. all in the name of revenge for a lost love. But defeating you won't bring my Syaoran back. sealing you won't solve anything. How can anyone learn from their mistakes if they are not given second chances? How could I ever look at my reflection again if I knew I had sealed someone up forever? No matter what that person may have done, no one deserves to be sealed away."  
  
The crowd of her friends and family moved in slowly (They had temporarily hidden when Storm was called). "Sakura." Tomoyo approached her friend slowly. Mia did as well. Sakura raised her hand and signaled them to leave. She put her face in her hands and cried. Koji took advantage of the situation and stood up.  
  
".We can finish another day! Better yet, another world!" Koji pulled out his mirror and aimed it straight up. A strange ball, not unlike the one that got Syaoran, enveloped him and started to grow at a lightning pace. The sound of her friends running and flying was heard, but none of it was coming to her. Only Tomoyo screaming, "Get out of there, Sakura!" and Touya's "Get over here!" was heard otherwise. However, she did not listen. She just backed up until she bumped into a tree. Sakura pressed against it and tried to move around it quickly, but it was in vain. Moments later it consumed her entirely.  
  
__________________________________________________________  
  
White. White was all there is. Endless, unchanging white light. Pain. Pain surged through Sakura's body as she floated through the endless sea of white. But it was not pain of the body or the mind. It was not the same pain at all. It was the throbbing pain of the heart. The ache of loss. Sakura felt her chest. It was beating madly. All of her thoughts focused on her friend, Syaoran. She continued to drift through nothing. Emptiness.  
  
Suddenly, the white began to change. It became a light brown. Her heart felt more at ease. The pain slowly stopped. But as Sakura looked into the void, it changed again. Or rather, zoomed out. Sakura could see the brown was in an eye. The eye of a calm, caring person. Syaoran. She stared into his face.  
  
"I. I love you." He said. but then turned and walked away.  
  
"Sakura? Are you awake? Sakura? Sakura?"  
  
The eyes of the young maiden opened slowly to find she was in her own bed.  
  
It was Tomoyo sitting over her. "Welcome back, Sakura." The young mistress groaned in fatigue and pain. "What happened to me?" She could not see straight. Her vision was completely blurred from the shock. Eriol sighed aloud from his chair near her bed and he leaned against the back of it. "You were enveloped in a ball of pure time magic, just as Syaoran. However, I think I miscalculated something."  
  
Sakura's vision slowly returned. She sat up and hung her head as a tear rolled down her cheek at the thought of Syaoran. Suddenly, she realized she felt. different. Yet it was somehow familiar. She was in her teen body.  
  
"What's going on? I grew up? How long have I been asleep?" She turned and realized Tomoyo and Eriol were grown, too. However, Tomoyo looked even older. Sakura looked about 18 while Tomoyo looked about 25. Eriol seemed to be 20 or so.  
  
Eriol sighed again. "This is part of what makes me think I miscalculated. You see, Time Magic, which Koji used to escape, can also be used in a destructive way. If enough of it is focused and smashes into the ground, the caster can rip time as we know it apart. But. well. as you can see, it had this effect on us when it expanded into us." Tomoyo continued. "As Eriol told me while you were asleep, Sakura-chan, Time Magic has a certain property to it. one that can actually move matter. Or in other words, some uses of Time Magic not only take you backwards or forwards in time, but it also can put you ANYWHERE in time. It's possible Koji-" The door opened and Mia entered. She did not appear to be any older. In fact, she looked to be about 8 years old. "Oh, thank goodness you're all right. I was worried." Sakura giggled a little at the sight of the young Mia. "Err. Hee hee. What. hee. happened?" The young girl sighed. "It looks like the age modifying powers of that portal Koji opened are rather random. They don't just make you older, I suppose. At least I think they're only temporary." Tomoyo smiled. "That's good to know. I wouldn't want to always be so much older than Sakura-chan. But maybe we should continue before I lose my train of thought." Sakura nodded. "Okay."  
  
"Well," she continued, "where was I.? Oh, right. It's possible Koji is no longer in this world, but has moved on to another." "WHAT?!" Gasped Sakura and Mia. "It's true. But I'm not completely sure. and even if it is true, I doubt we could get to him."  
  
Sakura didn't seem to be paying attention. Her emerald eyes focused on something on her desk. "Is that. his hat?" Tomoyo grabbed it off the desk and handed it to Sakura. She hung her head again and whimpered. "He's. gone. He's really gone. Every time I look at this, it comes as another shock. like it hasn't really sunk in." A tear rolled down her cheek and Tomoyo hugged her tight. "It's okay, Sakura. Be strong, like you always are." Sakura lifted her head. "I'll. try. I know it's what. he would have wanted. But. to tell the truth. I was strong a lot. because friends like him helped me be strong." Tomoyo held Sakura's hand in hers and clenched it tightly. "Just try to be strong. We're still here for you. We'll never leave you." She looked her in the eyes and added, "And Li-kun would have wanted you to keep going."  
  
"Hoe?" Suddenly had a thought. "What happened to Touya? And my class? And. err. has dad. seen me like this?" Mia nodded. "But he was very nice about it. He's at the university now, there was some emergency there, but when he brought you in, he was shocked. But he understood you had a reason for hiding your powers. Well, actually, all he knows is you're older. He doesn't really know about your powers. yet. But in any case, he's going to give you time to explain later." Sakura gave a tender smile. "Father's always been so understanding." Eriol laughed and said, "Don't worry about your class. After the fight, I caught them hiding together towards the center of the park. I put them all to sleep for a few minutes and made it so non of them would remember what happened." "But what about Touya? Is he hurt?" Tomoyo giggled. "Oh, don't worry, he's fine. but." "But?" Asked Sakura with a confused look. Eriol laughed. "Come see for yourself."  
  
Sakura got of her bed and put on her favorite slippers. realizing they were too small. Instead, she walked barefoot, yet she wobbled a little. She was still woozy from changing so many cards. Mia and Tomoyo guided her down the hall down to Touya's room and opened the door.  
  
"Hmmm? What do you want? Wait, you're awake?" Sakura opened the door and stood in shock. A smile broke out on her face and she started to laugh. Touya's face turned bright red in embarrassment and frustration. "What are you laughing at?!" Sakura attempted to keep it quiet, but failed miserably. "You're. you're. FIVE YEARS OLD!"  
  
Indeed, the once mighty, 17-year-old, bullying onii-chan was now around 5 years of age. Tomoyo smiled. "Isn't he so cute when he's like this?" "WHAT WAS THAT?!" The now-young sibling screamed. "You should be thanking me! After you were pressed against that tree, in fear of Koji's spell, I ran to get you and carry you back."  
  
Mia, who was a bit taller, despite being only 8, entered and chuckled. "That's not quite how I remember it. I seem to remember someone only screaming at Sakura to get out of there, not going anywhere, and that person didn't go until Meiling and I pushed him ourselves."  
  
"Hoe?" Sakura looked around. "Speaking of Meiling, where is she?"  
  
"." Tomoyo drew silent. Even Touya quieted down. "She." Eriol begun, "was a little. depressed. when Syaoran vanished. So. Ummm. Maybe it would be best if you saw for yourself. In a little while, at least. Meiling said she didn't want to see anyone for a while. Let's give her a few more hours. It's 5pm. Also, I need some time to recap everything in my mind. When we meet up with her later, I'll explain all that is going on." The boy started to walk away down the hall when Sakura tried to talk to him. Tomoyo put her hand on Sakura's shoulder and shook her head. "Let him be for now. He seems upset."  
  
Sakura turned around and kneeled down to the now knee-high brother and asked, "Seriously, though, were you really worried about me last night? .Errr. I mean 3 or 4 days ago. whenever it was." Touya blushed and turned away. "I don't know what you're talking about. You're just an annoying monster who has been hiding things from us! I didn't care!"  
  
Suddenly and unexpectedly, she picked up here older/younger brother and hugged him tightly. "YOU ARE JUST THE CUTEST LITTLE THING!" Touya pushed as hard as he could to push his now giant-by-comparison sister away, but to no avail. "What are you doing?!" She only squeezed harder. "You're just so CUTE like this, pretending not to care! Tomoyo?" They turned around to see that Tomoyo still had her faithful camcorder, taping every minute of Touya in Sakura's arms, despite his protest.  
  
"It's so amazing," gasped Tomoyo. "Sakura's already so incredibly kawaii. but now, with her baby brother in her arms, it's twice as cute." Sakura and Touya had a sweat drop on each of their heads. Sakura sat her brother down on his bed and patted him on the head. "Well, I think I'll go cook something for dinner. I'm starving." Touya just sighed. "Fine. I'll have whatever. I'm hungry." Sakura winked and walked out into the hall. "All right, squirt." As she closed the door, Touya cried out, "What did you-" The door slammed shut.  
  
Sakura went down to the kitchen and started to cook. She boiled some tea and soon had everything ready. Mia tried to set the table, but with her reduced height, she couldn't reach all the way to the counter. She tried to climb onto the counter top, but lost her grip and Tomoyo caught her. The older girl now smiled and said, "You know, you are a great help, but maybe you could help by keeping an eye out for Eriol when he comes back." "Okay!" The little girl ran off upstairs.  
  
Sakura laughed. Tomoyo turned to her. "What's wrong?" Sakura stopped her laughing but was grinning from ear to ear. "Well, it's just. the way I was holding Touya. The way you just handled Mia. The fact we're cooking dinner. and the fact we're a little grown up now, I kind of feel like a mother." She blushed. Tomoyo only smiled back as she finished setting the table. "Well, I know how you feel." Sakura also added, "You know, with your hair so long and its color. it kind of reminds me of my mother." Tomoyo grabbed a small portion of her hair and smoothed it out with her hand. "Well, it was my mother's idea. That's because it DOES look like your mother's. Oh?" A shadow approached the kitchen as Tomoyo poured Sakura a cup of tea and Sakura sat down. She placed dinner on the table and took a sip of her tea. Touya entered the room and Sakura smiled.  
  
"You know, Touya, when you walk around the house like that you make so much noise. Like a monster." "WHAT DID YOU SAY?" responded the pint-sized brother. Sakura placed her mug on his head to rest and giggled. Touya thrashed his arms wildly. "HEY, I'M NOT THE MONSTER! YOU ARE!!!" Sakura rubbed his hair, mussing it up. "Well, now you know how I feel every day at breakfast." The brat growled. "Fine, I can take a hint. I won't call you 'monster' anymore. Happy?" Sakura smiled and nodded. "Yep. Now, sit down. Dinner is ready. Where did Mia go?"  
  
"Here I am!" The little girl entered, waving one arm in the air cheerfully. She took a seat next to Touya. Touya could barely see over the table. Tomoyo went and got a dictionary to sit on as well so they could eat. A few minutes into the meal, there came to be footsteps outside. The door swung open and a man walked in. Fujitaka took off his shoes and stepped into the kitchen. He was covered in snow, still. "Sakura? Is that you? You're awake?" Sakura's eyes filled with tears. She rushed to him and gave him a giant hug. Despite being her new height, Fujitaka was still much taller. He was a complete head over her.  
  
Fujitaka hugged her back. "It's good to see you're fine." He stepped back and smiled. "I never thought I'd ever see my baby girl all grown up so soon. You look so much like your mother." Touya got up and walked over to him. "AHEM." Fujitaka smiled. "And I can't forget my wonderful little boy." "I'M NOT A LITTLE BOY!" His father just laughed though. "Don't be like that. Here, your friend is here to see you!"  
  
"Konnichiwa!"  
  
Sakura smiled and waved. "Yukito-san!" The boy was taken surprised. "Sakura! You're. grown up! I heard about that from your father, but it's still." Sakura smiled. "It's all right. Don't worry about it. I take it you're here to see my little brother here." Sakura picked up her brother and held him tightly in her arms. Yukito laughed out loud. "I'm so sad I had that cold the past few days. I can't believe how cute he looks!" "I DO NOT LOOK 'CUTE!'"  
  
Eriol suddenly reappeared behind Yuki. "Sakura. I think it's time we went for a walk. Bring Tomoyo and Mia, too."  
  
"I'm coming, too." Touya demanded. Sakura bent over to Touya, who was now being held in the air by Yuki, and said, "Sorry, but you may not be 5 years old mentally, but I don't think most people will realize that. But I promise we'll be right back." The child version of Touya sighed. "Fine. But I'm expecting an explanation when you get back." "All right." Sakura replied. "We'll be going out now, and we'll wear our winter clothes. It's still pretty cold." Fujitaka smiled and said, "All right, have a great time. Thanks for cooking dinner. Don't be gone too long." "We won't! Ja ne! (See you later!)"  
  
Sakura, Mia, Tomoyo, and Eriol all walked together down the street together. "So. Where's Meiling?" Asked Tomoyo, holding a big purse filled with her video equipment. (Sakura wondered why she had clothes fit specifically for a 25-year old girl, for both of them, but decided she'd rather not know.) "At the park. Specifically, in front of the gate and not far from the tree where the Return Card was hidden."  
  
Sakura recalled that gate very well. She remembered the tree, as well, where the Return Card had sucked her in and showed her the past, when Touya knew Kaho-sensei. But then, she also remembered it was Syaoran who rescued her then. She shook her head violently to forget the thought. After all, that was so long ago. Tomoyo turned to Sakura as they walked around a corner. "Are you all right? Is something bothering you?" Sakura shook her head. "N-no. why would you think that?" Tomoyo pointed down to Sakura's feet. "Because you've been walking through a deep snow bank for about 10 meters now without even noticing." "HOEEEE!" Sakura jumped out of the waist high bank and shook the freezing snow off her. "Gomen. I guess I am pretty lost today." "It's all right." Mia said, smiling.  
  
Suddenly, a familiar pair of friends came walking down the street. "Rika- chan! Naoko-chan!"  
  
The two girls stopped. ".Do. we know you?" Naoko said. "Hold on." Rika said, examining Sakura. "You know, you look a lot like Sakura-san. Well, a little. Are you somehow related to her?" Sakura backed up slowly and started to panic. She had forgotten that they were older and no one would recognize them.  
  
"Say, speaking of Sakura-san." Naoko said, "Have you seen her?" Rika-chan shook her head. "No, I haven't." A look of worry crossed her dark brown eyes.  
  
Tomoyo smiled gently. "Don't worry, Sakura-chan is safe. She just had to go on a sudden trip to her grandparents. We're her older cousins."  
  
Rika smiled. "Oh? That would explain why you," pointing to Sakura, "resemble her so much. Then again, Sakura has never told us she even had grandparents." Sakura smiled. "But you know Tom-err. I mean, you know. ummm." Sakura tried to quickly come up with a fake name for all three of them. "Oh, wait, I never introduced ourselves. I'm. K-Keiko!" Sakura had named herself, but still dripped with sweat, trying to think of fake names for Tomoyo and Eriol. She turned to Tomoyo. "And this is. ummm. Rumiko." Tomoyo smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Sakura thought, "That's two. one more." She turned to Eriol and thought hard. "And this is my brother, uhhh." "Kentaro," Eriol said. Sakura laughed nervously. "Right, Keitaro." Rika- chan leaned her head to one side. "I thought he said KENtaro." Sakura covered her mouth. "N-No. But. Ummm. we better go. We'll tell Sakura, Tomoyo, and Eriol you said 'hello!' Ja ne!" Sakura grabbed Tomoyo and Eriol's hands and quickly ran off with them.  
  
Naoko just stared. "Sakura-san sure has a weird family. and how does that girl, Keiko, know Sakura-san's friends?"  
  
The Shrine was just ahead. Its gate could be seen in the distance, but something barely audible was in the air. Sobbing? "Is someone. crying?" Sakura and Tomoyo looked around. They spotted a lone figured hunched down in front of the tree in the center of the park. "Meiling?" Sakura muttered.  
  
As they approached the gate to the Shrine, Meiling became clearer. She was leaning up against the tree, sobbing her heart out. She didn't seem to be affected by the age-changing after-effect of Koji teleporting away; maybe she was only altered by a year or two. "Meiling? Why are you crying?" Tomoyo asked, though she already knew the answer.  
  
The young girl stepped back to show a small stone on the ground. It was engraved marble. It had something written in both Japanese and Chinese. Sakura knelt down to read it. "In loving memory of. Li Xiao Lang." Sakura covered her mouth and tears started to form again in her eyes. "So. you were gone all this time. to make this? Wait. there's more. A quote? 'I love you, Sakura.'"  
  
Silence. To Sakura, the entire world was suddenly inaudible. She heard nothing but the rapid beating of her heart and the billions of thoughts that raced through her mind. She started to whimper quietly, but couldn't control herself. She fell over, hugged the gravestone, and cried her eyes out. She doesn't know how long she cried for. All Sakura could remember was feeling a light tapping on her shoulder. She turned to see Eriol watching her intently. "Sakura, I know how much this means to you and all, but we have more important issues to attend to. We must stop that idiot Koji before he ruins time itself."  
  
Sakura sat down and dried her eyes. "You're right. I'm sorry. What should we discuss first? So much has happened." Eriol leaned against the tree. "Perhaps I should provide some long overdue background information." Tomoyo nodded in agreement. Sakura stared at the dirt, not even paying full attention. Meiling did the same. They were both lost in thought. Eriol began, anyway. "Well, to start off, I better truly introduce myself." Tomoyo looked him in the eyes. "You mean you're not Eriol Hiiragizawa?" He shook his head. "I may be Eriol, but at the same time, I am not. I am living, yet I have died. You may know me better as. Clow Reed."  
  
"HOEEEE?!" Suddenly, Sakura became very alert. "You mean, the reason I always sensed Clow Reed around when things got strange was because it was you?" He nodded. "You've proven yourself worthy to hold the Title of Mistress of the Clow. for now. However, I felt you needed a little help. and motivation. to turn all of the cards into their new form. Of which, if I'm not mistaken, there are only a few left to transform, right?"  
  
"Hoe?" Sakura reached into her bag and took out the Light and the Dark as well as Cloud and a few others. "How did you know? I have a few more cards remaining. Like the Cloud. but I changed most of them in the maze. I kind of lost it back there and I started to change all of them in haste. But these few I couldn't. I forgot how you shouldn't transform cards without a real order, but. I'm guessing that's why I passed out for so long while all of you were awake. I must have used far too much power. Anyway, when I tried to change these two," she held up the Light and Dark and continued, "they didn't do anything." Eriol took the two cards from her hands. "Light and Dark. They are one in the same. One cannot exist without the other. Without light, there is no darkness; without darkness, there is no light. So, these two cards must be changed together and it would require immense power." He handed them back to her. "Well, that's it for formal introductions. Except for maybe." He snapped his fingers and Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun floated down. "I believe you've met them before." Sakura stood up and stared. "Now. I remember. You've all looked so familiar! You were the ones who helped us battle when we defeated Sadin! You helped us get through the temple in the sky to defeat Nave!"  
  
Distant memories of their trap-filled voyage through the sky returned to Sakura's mind. Back when she was with her friends in an alternate future, a huge castle had been hanging in the sky. With a pair of angel wings, Sakura had flown there. But there was another group there, as well. A tall boy, a panther, and a girl with butterfly wings.  
  
Ruby Moon approached. "K-Kinomoto? You're. all. KAWAII!" The insane Nakuru hugged the older Sakura. "You're even cuter all grown up!" Sakura squirmed and tried to yank off the crazed girls death grip around her neck, but it didn't help. "Erk. Air. Please. Let. go." Sakura cringed in pain until Nakuru released her and she gasped. "This would be even BETTER if your brother were here." Tomoyo smiled. "It's good to formally meet you. but her brother is currently at home. He got a little younger. By about 13 years or so." Nakuru's eyes sparkled in an evil way. "What? A toddler Kinomoto-san? Master, I hope you won't need me soon. I have to see this! Ja ne!" The girl took off and flew over to the Kinomoto residence. Sakura couldn't believe her onii-chan had to put up with that daily. He had to have ribs of steel.  
  
"Should she really be leaving now?" Meiling asked. "Don't worry about her. I don't need her yet. I already was going to let her go. Anyway, let me explain where this all began."  
  
"It was about a year ago this all really began. In my life, I have been cursed. Cursed with the ability to see the future. all of it. All things that are fated I can see. But one day, something happened I had not seen. I saw a demon attacked you all in the park. Then, the next day at school, you came in with that scar on your face." Sakura cringed, remembering the pain of the knife to her face so long ago. She rubbed it as if she expected someone to hit her again. "I hadn't seen either coming. It was not fated to be. I would have seen you with a permanent scar." "I don't even want to think about that." Sakura muttered, still rubbing her cheek. Mia had healed it entirely, but sometimes she could almost still feel the blade.  
  
"I began to worry. Then came the rumors of Sakura's demise. I knew it wasn't true, but still. So much was going on. I managed to discover for a fact the young girl that was killed was not Sakura, and, in fact, Sakura a few others had altogether vanished off the face of the Earth, it seemed. I knew something was wrong, but I didn't know what. It was almost as if someone was tampering with people's destinies. While I enjoy no longer being able to foresee all the events the future may hold, this was the worst way to do so." Sakura leaned up against the tree and held on to one knee as she looked up into the branches above. "That's when we went to fight Sadin together." Eriol nodded. "Right. And our mission was a success. We defeated Sadin and no one except those who were in that room when Sadin died even knew it had happened. However, not all was right."  
  
"Koji." Tomoyo muttered, holding her hands over her chest. "Exactly," Eriol continued. "Koji was Sadin's right hand man. The boy had a knack for finding things. At the age of 5, is family was excavating outside their home when they stumbled on a treasure trove of fossils in an ancient cave. From that day on, the boy dreamt of being an archeologist. He had a knack for digging. HE was a neighborhood legend for being able to find anything. But. something happened to him. What exactly, though, I'm not sure. Just something. From that day on, he had a growing evil within him. He killed his first person at the tender age of 10. When Sadin took over this world, he saw this evil and this desire to search. Koji was taken in and assigned to use his talents and some new powers to give power to Sadin's evil armies. Magic amulets, cursed stones, orbs of power. Anything that may have existed he was sent to find for evil purposes. But by the time he came back. It was too late. We were already to Sadin."  
  
Meiling stared up. "But you said something about only the people in the room with Sadin when his power exploded or something actually remember what happened. Shouldn't Koji forget everything, too?" Spinnel decided to explain this time. "Well, ordinarily, yes. However, something else was blocking the memory erasing effects of Sadin's magic dispersing. It seems that the Mirror of Time, that infernal device Koji uses to travel through time and space, blocked his memory from being erased. And just before the world reverted to normal, he somehow heard of your name, Sakura. And he searched all over Japan for you."  
  
Tomoyo turned to the panther. "And that's where the story began again?" Eriol nodded. "Koji eventually found Sakura. waited for her brother and father to be gone, broke in, shot her, and left." Sakura shuddered. "Please, I don't want to think about being shot." Eriol sighed. "This is important. to sum things up quickly, Syaoran came, but it was too late. You, Sakura, didn't survive the ambulance ride to the hospital." Sakura mumbled under her breath, "I hope no one was too hurt by it." "Well, a few days later, Mia showed up," Eriol continued. "She pointed out the danger and who Koji was, apparently sensing his presence. I, too, felt something, but I was in too much stress from losing Sakura and coming up with a backup plan. In the end, Koji showed his face and everyone attacked him late at school. He tried to escape into the past, possibly to get Syaoran and Tomoyo and Mia, but you followed him in the portal. I also followed him. Everyone but Tomoyo went into the past. The next few days passed regularly. But on the day Sakura was to be shot, Syaoran took the bullet instead. Well, he was hospitalized. And when he was released, everyone noticed Sakura started to slowly disappear. That was the first time we had to go back in time to rescue someone. In this case, it was a girl named Kumiko. Next, it was Sakura herself in danger again. After that, Syaoran started to disappear, and that was the recent trip to the Li clan you all remember."  
  
"And. when we returned. This is how things turned out." Tomoyo said. "Yes, basically," Eriol said with little emotion. "I skipped a lot of details to save time, but that's what happened."  
  
"But what about the park?" Sakura asked. "Why there? Why then? Why us?" Eriol sat down himself if front of Sakura. "Well, basically, I've come to a startling conclusion. I know who Koji's last victim is." "Really?!" Sakura asked. "Who? WHO?!"  
  
"Clow Reed."  
  
"HOEEEEEE!" Sakura stood up and put her hands on Eriol's shoulders. "What are you talking about? How can Koji kill Clow Reed? There's no way! He can't do that! If he does that. I don't know what would happen! HOW?!"  
  
Eriol took her hands off his clothes and stood up. He raised one hand and sat her down. "Calm down. Let me finish. It's just I've come to no other conclusions. I've felt a deep conflict in the recess of my mind. I sense trouble in the past. Koji is trying to reach Clow Reed everyday."  
  
Tomoyo meekly asked, "But then why doesn't he just warp there as usual?" Eriol grinned. "Well, that's where the disturbance is coming from. Koji tried that. But back then, I wasn't going to let just anyone come to visit me. I had more foresight than that. I'm guessing that I somehow blocked him with a spell. This is where the snow came from. Koji has a new Emblem. the Emblem of the Sun. With it, he's actually been absorbing the power of the sun all over Tomoeda in order to overcharge the Mirror of Time and break the barrier. This still failed, but it lowered the temperature for quite some time. This is what caused all of the snow. Well, that, and Koji's other new Weapon, the Ice Crystal. That is what he used to call down those spears of ice onto you. He knew even if he managed to get back in time to kill my former self, you'd show up to stop him. Quite astute of him, really. That's why he waited for you to all get into the open, regardless of who it would hurt."  
  
"That's horrible!" Sakura stated. "Maybe. but something is getting to him. I've noticed the changes slowly myself. At the start of all of this, Koji was, to put it bluntly, a pompous and bumbling idiot. He seemed more concerned with being entertained than getting the job done. But now. Something has come over him. I doubt he, at first, would try to kill so many of those kids all at once for no reason." Meiling stared at Syaoran's memorial stone for a second and quickly looked away. "But. if Koji can't get into the past, what's to worry about?" "That's the newest problem. He CAN get into the past."  
  
"HOEEE?! How can he do THAT?!" Sakura gasped. "He's using an alternate dimension," Eriol answered.  
  
".Hoe?" Sakura's eyes shrunk to little slits. "Ummm. What's that?" "Take out a card and I'll demonstrate," Eriol commanded. She took out Windy. "Now, toss it in the air and catch it." "Hoe? All right." Sakura did as commanded, but she wondered what this had to do with anything. She caught the card facing her. "You see, that card landed facing you. In an alternate dimension, it would have landed the opposite way. For every chance or possibility in life, there is its own dimension."  
  
Sakura stared at the card for a moment. "Ummm. so. you mean. Alternate dimensions are dimensions where cards turn backwards?" Meiling and Eriol slammed into the ground in exasperation. "No, Kinomoto!" Meiling said. "He means every time two things CAN happen, there's like a separate world where each event DOES happen. Look, see that tree?" She pointed to the tall tree behind them. "Pretend each branch is a separate possibility. Something that could happen. As things happen, they spread out into different parts of the branch with each new thing that could happen. Understand?" Sakura nodded. "I think so. but that must be a lot of different worlds. But how does this help Koji or us?"  
  
Eriol shook his head slowly. "It's not good. With infinite dimensions, there is no way in the past I could have blocked him from entering from all OTHER dimensions. This way, if he tries hard enough, he can break through into Clow Reed's time and space."  
  
"That's horrible!" Sakura said. "What can we do about it?" Spinnel laughed. "Isn't it obvious? We're going to go and follow him into this dimension, stop him, and return." Meiling just sighed. "I could have figured that out. but how?" Eriol turned to Sakura and summoned his Staff. "First, we must decide who is going."  
  
Sakura stood up and gasped. "What do you mean, 'who is going?' Aren't we all?" Eriol shook his head. "No! We can't let Koji escape. We can't let him get the weakest of us and use them to escape. Only the strongest should face him. so, determine who is best. Sakura, you, shall face ME."  
  
"HOEEEE! Eriol, no! I can't fight you! I won't!"  
  
Suddenly, from out of the sky, Kero and Yue descended. Kero growled at Eriol. " I KNEW IT! I knew there was something suspicious about you. That's why I've been hiding all day." Yue stared coldly at Eriol. "Is this really a good time to be fighting? If you are going to fight, though, I have to fight for my Mistress. I won't back down."  
  
Eriol smiled. "Very well, then. Ruby Moon, I take it you've returned?" A familiar genderless creature by the name of Ruby Moon floated back down from the sky. "Of course, master." "Spinel," Eriol started, "Are you ready as well?" Spinel remained silent but nodded.  
  
"No! I will not fight! I have no reason to!" Sakura stomped her foot and shook her head. "Sakura, you must understand. on second thought, I suppose you won't listen to reason. I wish it didn't have to come to this, but now I have no choice." Eriol's wand glowed as he poured his energy into it. With a giant swing, the air became filled with blue dots of light. Meiling yawned greatly and staggered around. "What's. going on. Why do I feel. so t- t-tired." She fell quickly to the ground out cold. "Meiling!" Tomoyo screamed as she bent over to examine her. The jewel around her neck, though, began to glow pale blue and absorb the magic in the air. She quickly turned back to her angel form. "Wait, how did that happen? Why am I an angel again?"  
  
Eriol grinned. "The spell is complete. Anyone in the world without any source of strong magic is asleep. The sun shall not rise from this night." Sakura reeled back in shock. "What?! How could you?!" Eriol moved his staff back to an attack position. "Don't worry, my friend. If you can beat me, they'll all wake up. I did this so we may have no interruptions. It is 9 o'clock now and you must win by morning if you hope to ever see the sun again." He waved his staff in the air and suddenly, day turned to night. "To break the spell, you need to defeat me. Now, let us begin!"  
  
He jumped up to the top of the gate to the shrine and awaited Sakura to make the first move. Sakura reached for the key around her neck and began to chant.  
  
"O, Key that holds the Power of the Stars. Reveal your true form to me! RELEASE!" The glowing staff grew from her key and she grabbed it midair. Throwing a Card in the air, Sakura focused all her energy to be at her fighting best. "I'll finish this quickly! EARTHY! CREATE A BARRIER AROUND ERIOL!" A tremor came surging through the ground towards Eriol. Moments before the ripple of the Earth reached him, it skyrocketed up, like a mountain forming in seconds, and attempted to fall on the boy. However, all it took was one wave of Eriol's wand to shatter the giant wave into a million tiny pieces. "You'll have to do better than that, Sakura, if you wish to defeat me or Koji. And you must beat me by when morning will be, remember, or that sun shan't rise again."  
  
A large shadow came from the right of Sakura, and she turned to see Yue slam into a tree, pushed by Ruby Moon's blast of magic. She reached her fist back and energized it. She threw it forward, sending a shockwave of magic at Yue, but he moved out of the way and drew his bow, aiming it at Ruby's head. Before he could fire, Spinel was on his back, beside Yue, being pinned by a growling Kero. Spinnel attempted to swipe at the face of his opponent, but Kero jumped off first and breathed fire all over. Spinnel flew above it and dive-bombed the guardian.  
  
Sakura focused back on Eriol. The boy had somehow moved to the top of the gate to the Shrine, high above reach. "Let's see you win now. Break my spell, and then you may go on to fight Koji. Fail, and all those who have fallen asleep won't wake up ever and I shall go on to fight Koji alone. Perhaps if I destroy him entirely I can reset all events." Sakura gasped. "You can't DO that! Why would you?!"  
  
Eriol kept a serious face at all times. "Because a world run by Koji isn't worth living in. If you fail to beat me, what hope do you have to beat Koji? The world's only hope would then lie on my shoulders. And I am sure I could do it, but if I did somehow fail, the world would become a place of misery and sorrow. This way, no one will have to suffer through that. They'll remain asleep forever, and they can't interfere in our match. For if I defeat Koji, I will destroy his own Mirror of Time to restore all that was before he came. Now, fight me! Remember, this fight is timed. You must defeat me before the sun would rise or I win." Sakura growled. "That isn't right! There has to be another way." Suddenly, Sakura recalled a technique she had previously used.  
  
"FLY! SWORD!" A pair of giant pink wings sprung from her back and lifted the girl into the air. In her hands was a great sword, capable of cutting all things. "All I have to do is cut his staff in half, and then he'll be unable to cast anymore spells!" She thought to herself.  
  
"Sakura, look out! He's expecting that!" Tomoyo screamed from down below.  
  
Sakura skidded to a halt in midair and noticed the Eriol in the air slowly vanish. A fake. "Sakura, I saw him move away while you were taking the cards out. Be careful. I can help fight." Sakura shook her head. "Don't worry. I can handle this. I just can't play around anymore."  
  
Eriol stood upon the gate once again, this time the real him. Sakura dropped down to the ground and pulled out two cards. "I know I need a burst in power to beat him. That's why I need to transform the last of the cards. I hope when I have all the Cards, I can beat him. and Light and Dark may just be enough to break his spell."  
  
"O, cards that Clow has made, I command you to lose your form and be born again under your new master, Sakura!" She threw a group of cards into the air, minus Light and Dark. "WOOD! CLOUD!" The two cards glowed and suddenly Sakura fainted.  
  
"Sakura, wake up! Sakura! Please!" Sakura stirred to the feeling of Tomoyo gently nudging her. "T-Tomoyo? What happened?" Tomoyo hugged her tightly. "Sakura, you tried to change cards again without being entirely healed. It was too much and you passed out for hours. There's less than an hour left until sunrise!"  
  
Sakura struggled to her feet. "Wait, Sakura! Don't rush!" Sakura shook her head. "I have to! I can't let everyone down!"  
  
"Ah, Sakura, you're awake. I was afraid you'd join the world in eternal slumber. I forgot to mention something." He pointed to Kero and Yue slumped over on the ground and then to her staff. "If you can't beat me fast enough as well, Yue and Kero will lose all of their power. They won't be able to exist anymore and will be absorbed into your staff and they can never leave it." Sakura gasped, dropped her staff, and ran beside the two guardians. "Kero! Yue! Are you all right?" Kero nodded. "Just. exhausted. Don't worry about us." Yue grunted, "Don't. worry, Mistress. Just finish the battle. You can."  
  
Sakura started to cry, but she clenched her fist and stood up, determined.  
  
"I will win." Tomoyo-chan smiled, seeing Sakura's resolve. "Ganbatte, Sakura-chan."  
  
Sakura picked up the staff and grabbed two cards from her pocket. "Eriol, Clow, whoever you are, I can't let you harm the world like this, even if it will prove who fights Koji."  
  
"O, cards that Clow has made, I command you to lose your form and be born again under your new master, Sakura! LIGHT! DARK!"  
  
The two cards floated above Sakura's head. Slowly, from the bottom, light flashed and moved up the cards. Half of them remained Clow Cards, the other became Sakura Cards. The tempest wind blew with horrible aggression with no signs of stopping. It only increased in strength as Sakura concentrated all her might into the Staff. But it was no use. Try as she might, the cards would not fully change.  
  
"You have 30 minutes until dawn, Sakura. How can you expect to beat someone who is learning to bend and morph time and space at his will when you can't even change two cards? You can't beat your own problems. If you want to continue on, give me all you have!"  
  
Images of Fujitaka, Touya, her friends, Meiling, and all the others, asleep, filled her mind. She imagined Kero and Yue being sucked into the staff, never to return. She realized if she didn't do everything she possibly could, she'd never see them again. She had to give it her all. She had to! Failure was not a possibility!  
  
Sweat dripped from her forehead as Sakura exhausted every ounce of her power. the Cards slowly began to transform even more. but it was still not enough. She was only ¾ of the way there when it stopped again. "NO! I CAN'T QUIT! I have to fight Koji. For. Syaoran." "One minute left."  
  
"Sakura. you can do it. I know you can." "S-Syaoran? Is. I must be hearing things." Sakura felt a warm touch caress her body and she felt more relaxed. At the same time, she could feel more energy coursing through her veins. "Sakura, just do it. I know you can. And I still love you." Sakura's cheeks reddened. It felt as if someone was holding her, donating his or her power. "Alright. for. Syaoran. GRRRRR." Sakura strained even harder and a blinding light took over the Cards and they completely transformed.  
  
"LIGHT! Defeat my foe!" A golden woman of light rose from the card and flew directly at Eriol, who stood smiling on the ground. When Light reached him, the world around them all was blinding. When it dimmed again, tiny dots of golden light were moving around the world. As it caressed Meiling's face, the young Chinese Li began to awaken slowly.  
  
Eriol smiled. "Well done, Sakura. You've proven yourself worthy not only to be the one to face Koji, but to be the one worthy of the title, 'Mistress of the Clow.' Congratulations."  
  
Sakura's eyes filled with tears. "I. I did it. YATTA! YATTA! YATTA!* (I did it)" Tomoyo began to cry, too. "Sakura-chan, you've done it! I knew you could! I always knew!" She leapt into Sakura's arms and they hugged. Meiling was now getting up from her slumbering state. "Huh? Where am I? What's going on?" Kero stood up perfectly fine. He never appeared stronger before. Kero helped the fallen girl up and carried her over to Sakura with a smile. "You did it, Sakura. I always knew you could. Congratulations!"  
  
Sakura fell to the ground and started to cry profusely. "Sakura, what's wrong?" asked Tomoyo. Sakura lifted her head and smiled the biggest, warmest smile of her life. "Nothing is wrong. Everything is right. Because. because. SYAORAN-KUN IS ALIVE!" Sakura lunged at Tomoyo and tackled her with a giant hug, crying with happiness. Tomoyo smoothed Sakura's hair and smiled. "I'm so happy!"  
  
Meiling's eyes lit up as well. "He's. alive.? But. how?! We saw him disappear!" Sakura shook her head. "I don't know. I'm not sure where he is. but he's alive." She curled up into a ball by hugging her legs in a seated position and she stared up into the clouds. "But he was here. Holding me. I could feel him. And. he's alive."  
  
Eriol leapt down from the gate and walked over. "You have won, Sakura. You shall be the one to face Koji." Sakura looked up and shook her head. "You're coming along, too, Eriol. It's better to have lots of friends to fight than just one. We'll need your help. I'm sure of it." Eriol nodded pleasantly. "If that is how you feel, I shall accompany you anywhere. As will my companions." Spinel and Ruby Moon bowed as well. Sakura's cheeks reddened as she smiled. She stretched her arms out and laughed. "This is my day!" She could even feel the burst of magic energy flowing through her at its strongest ever. Kero returned to his smaller form and floated down onto her shoulder. "You did great today, Sakura. But you must be tired, so let's just get you home to rest."  
  
Sakura smiled and said, "It's okay, Kero. I'm not that tired. I think I can. just. last." That's when she passed out in exhaustion in Tomoyo's lap.  
  
Upon her awakening, she found her older brother staring her in the face once more, still in his younger form, so she couldn't have been out for more than a day. "You still are a monster, you know that, Sakura?" She sat up in her own bed, as usual. She petted her brother on the head and stared him down. "You know, you were loud enough just walking in here to wake someone who's been unconscious. I think that makes YOU the monster." Touya waved his arms around. "I AM NOT THE MONSTER!" He pointed at her and said, "You promised that you'd call me in case anything bad happened, and you didn't!" Sakura sighed. "I'm sorry. I really am.I didn't expect anything wrong to happen. We were only going to the park. And. well. Did you suddenly fall asleep by any chance?" Touya nodded. "I suddenly remember waking up in the kitchen with a pile of broken dishes. I thought it had to do with you." Sakura laughed. "Gomen. it wasn't my idea, I assure you, and we're safe. for now. Koji wasn't there."  
  
She hopped out of bed and rubbed her eyes. As she opened the door, Tomoyo- chan was there with a breakfast tray for her. "I heard you were awake, so I brought you up some breakfast, and I left you some clean clothes in the bathroom for your bath." Sakura took the tray and smiled back. "Thank you, and good morning!" Tomoyo smiled back. "You seem to be in a very pleasant mood this morning." Sakura closed her eyes and laughed. "How could I not be? I transformed all the cards, for once, I'm bigger than my brother, and my Syaoran is alive!" Sakura's eyes acted more like Tomoyo's as they began to sparkle at the thought of how wonderful this all was. She hardly noticed Tomoyo with the same glazed, starry stare from behind a camcorder, filming this all.  
  
Touya stepped out of Sakura's room, carrying her laundry with him to be done, (and the pile was nearly as big as he was. All together now: One. two. three. KAWAII!) when he noticed the two girls standing blankly in the hall, both staring out into nothingness, causing the air to sparkle with incredible brilliance. ".I don't think I even want to know." He stepped downstairs, with a sweat drop rolling down the back of his head.  
  
Sakura was the first to snap out of her trance and notice Tomoyo. She quickly pressed against the wall, spilling a little tea from the tray on the floor. "T-Tomoyo, what are you doing?" Her cheeks reddened greatly. "I just had to tape this! The way you said 'MY Syaoran.' It was just too romantic and beautiful." She held her video recorder to her chest and continued to zone out. "I must record all of my dear Sakura-chan's lovely moments on video!" Sakura just laughed nervously with a sweat drop and blushed worse. "Ummm. Errr. T-T-Tomoyo-chan. Oh! What I meant. was. ummm. Say, wait a minute; didn't you want to tape me last night? That's a rare occasion when you don't." Tomoyo smiled and waved one finger in the air. "Don't you worry, I knew I had to support you, so I put my new, experimental camera in a tree branch, set to follow you and all your movements! Now I can make it into a great music video!" Sakura started to get worried and slowly worked her way back to her room, thanking Tomoyo for the food, but trying not to make things any weirder.  
  
After a hearty breakfast and cleaning her room, she headed to the bathroom. A minute later, she floated in the water along with Kero-chan. The little guardian floated by and said, "Ah, you seem to be in a good mood today." Sakura nodded. "Of course I am! Syaoran is alive! I know it!" Kero leaned against the side of tub and thought. "Well, that's good, but do you know where he is?" Sakura pondered for a moment and said, "I'm not sure.. But. all I can think of is he disappeared in that giant sphere made of Time Magic, which is the same thing Koji did. So, wherever Koji is, Syaoran might be there, too. Maybe it's one of those 'alternate dimension' things like Eriol talked about. I'm just not sure. how to get there." Kero floated to Sakura and patted her on the head. "It's all right. If you say you felt his presence last night, I'm sure he's fine. We can find some way to get him back." Sakura smiled and hugged Kero. "Thanks a lot."  
  
Sakura leaned over to grab the shampoo and began to lather her hair. It had grown and took a lot more work to do. Suddenly, there came a knock on the bathroom door. "I'm in here," Sakura noted. "Sakura, it's Mia. I need to relay a message." "Okay, what is it," asked the bathing Mistress. "Eriol is over at his house and he says he thinks he might know a way to find Syaoran. HE says you can meet him there later and-" Sakura grabbed a towel, the door swung open, interrupting Mia, and Sakura bolted by so fast Mia's dress blew around as if she were in a hurricane. A sweat drop rolled down Mia's head. "That was fast."  
  
"Oh, Sakura, I take it you heard the news?" Tomoyo asked as Sakura was out on the front lawn. The speeding girl came to a quick stop. Sakura nodded. "Hai! I wanted to get over there as soon as possible." Tomoyo giggled, "Still, you may wish to put some clothes on if you want to be formal." Sakura looked down and realized she was wrapped in only a towel while standing in a snow bank that had not yet fully melted as the effects of Koji's sun-energy absorbing amulet had not worn off. Her hair was still dripping and lathered with shampoo. A few friends of hers from school, namely Chiharu and Naoko, were staring with sweat drops rolling down their heads. Sakura's face turned red as a tomato and she quickly walked into the house. "I guess I was just in a bit of a hurry." She said with a nervous laugh to her friend as she entered her house. Tomoyo just smiled and resumed reading her book in the sunlight. "And best of all, when Sakura leaves, I have the perfect new outfit to wear to rescue her Li-kun!" Chiharu and Naoko walked on still confused. "That cousin of Sakura's is sure weird," muttered Chiharu. "I hope Sakura returns soon."  
  
Fujitaka stood in the hallway as Sakura came back in. "Did you forget these?" He held out her clothes and smiled. Sakura blushed. "Errr. I'm sorry. I guess I'm just a little absent-minded today. Thank you, dad." She hugged him and headed upstairs. Fujitaka sat back down at the table and sipped his tea. "Daidouji-san was right. Young love is so cute, if a bit absent-minded. Such memories."  
  
Sakura finished drying off, got dressed, and headed downstairs. "Sakura- chan! You look so wonderful!" commented Tomoyo. Sakura was dressed up in a tan skirt to her knees with a matching sleeveless vest over a white turtleneck. Her hair was straight down to her shoulders with a red headband with a white wing near the ear. "Thanks, Tomoyo! You look nice, too." Tomoyo was in a light blue pair of jeans with a violet sweater. Her hair was braided with a purple band. "Thank you, Sakura. I take it you were on your way to Eriol-kun's house?" Sakura nodded. "I am. I can't wait! Let's go! .But hold on a minute. Where's Mia?" Tomoyo smiled. "That's a secret! You'll know in a little bit! Oh, and one more thing. you might want to look in a mirror for a second." "Hoe?" Sakura turned to look in the mirror on the wall and saw her hair was still lathered. "HOEEE!" She quickly ran upstairs to the bathroom, and came down a minute later. "Gomen, Tomoyo. My head isn't on straight lately." Tomoyo giggled. "It's okay, Sakura-chan."  
  
They stepped outside the house and started to walk down the street when Sakura stopped dead in her tracks. "Wait, keep going without me, Tomoyo. I'll meet up with you in a second!" She quickly turned around, much to Tomoyo's surprise, and ran inside. But as per Sakura's request, Tomoyo continued to walk. "Where's she going?" Kero asked, poking his head out of Tomoyo's bag. "I'm not sure," answered Tomoyo.  
  
Whir. Whir.  
  
Sakura's new roller blades rattled against the concrete as she rounded the corner and came alongside Tomoyo. "Ah, there you are, Sakura. What were. oh, I see." She smiled. Sakura had Li-kun's old hat on her head. "I wanted to bring it for good luck," she said. "That was a good idea." A minute later, they arrived at Eriol's large house.  
  
When they approached the front door, they reached for the handle when it opened on its own and a familiar face smiled back at them. "Kaho-sensei!" Sakura yelled in surprise. "Hello, Sakura. Come in. Everyone's expecting you in the living room."  
  
She led them down the hall to a large room beside a fireplace. In one corner Spinel sat on a pillow, reading. Kero popped out of Tomoyo's bag and flew over to him and started to talk (though it was not too long before an argument began with them). Meiling sat napping against the wall beside them, but woke up when Sakura entered. Nakuru leaned up against a wall, talking with Kaho as she entered. But on one sofa, next to Eriol, was Mia. They both stand up. "Ah, Sakura, how nice of you to join us. Please, sit down. Would you care for some tea?" She nodded, as did Tomoyo. "Just wait here a minute. Yue should be coming, too. I've already sent for him just a few minutes ago, and I've never known him to be late." Sure enough, as Eriol prepared some tea, Yue walked through the door. In actuality, Spinel had only arrived a few minutes beforehand as well. He had gone looking for Yukito, who was in the park. Spinel allowed him a few minutes to wrap up his plans before making him come.  
  
Eriol came back in and placed a tray of drinks down. He sat down, smiled, and asked Sakura, "So, tell me, how do you feel today?" Sakura brightly smiled and closed her eyes. "Wonderful! I don't know why, but I just feel a lot more power, too. And after hearing you had some sort of surprise. well, how could I not be feeling wonderful?" "Indeed," Eriol stated, placing his cup back down. "But let's get down to business, shall we?" Sakura nodded. Kaho sat down beside Eriol and wrapped her arm around Eriol's neck. "The plan is," she said, "we will track down where Koji is, and use Tomoyo to open a gate to wherever he is."  
  
Meiling looked on and just asked, "Daidouji-san will?" Tomoyo turned her head and gave an unsure glance. "Me? How can I help? I don't have any powers of my own. I can only borrow powers for a time." Eriol shook hi head. "That's not entirely true. For you don't seem to realize the immense power fate has given to you. You have yet to see its true form." Sakura looked just as confused, if not more so than Tomoyo. "What do you mean by true form?" Eriol approached Tomoyo and asked her, "May I see your necklace?" She nodded, unhooked it, and handed it to him. "This, the Legendary Angel's Medallion is quite well known to many a person with magic. It has far more power than Tomoyo has been using." Tomoyo looked puzzled. "More power? You mean, it just doesn't borrow power to use?" Eriol shook his head. "There goes a legend with this glowing stone." He stared deeply into the crimson stone. "Mia explained to me what she knows about it, but she's not entirely right. You see, while it does absorb the powers of other forces, it does not accept any use for evil. Also, it does have power, and the power of the absorbed serves only as an activation of the magic." Tomoyo stared at the necklace. "Really? I've had more powers than I thought, but then how do I use them?" Kaho shook her head. "We're not quite sure, yet. We think it must have to come deep inside the wearer. Since you have the most experience wearing this, we're going to let you keep it and use it. But now, let's explain the rest of our plan. Mia?" A short, 8-year- old sat beside Sakura and began to concentrate. "Sakura, you see, as I have been using that tracking spell to locate Koji all this time, I've learned to track him a little better each time. With a little boost from Eriol's power, I'm having an easier time tracking him anywhere. I hope to get a lock on him soon."  
  
Sakura looked a bit worried. "Excuse me, I'm not so great with these things, but. We're going to have Mia lock on to Koji wherever he is. but how does this involve that Angel's Medallion?" Eriol simply pointed to Sakura's Sakura Cards. "Take them out, and let me demonstrate.  
  
"Guys, I think I have something. I can. see Koji in my mind. He's. in Tomoeda.. But it's not THIS Tomoeda. It's another." Eriol smirked. "Just as I thought. Now, just keep that the way it is. Okay, Tomoyo, transform with this." He handed the necklace back to her and she fastened it around her neck. Eriol placed his hand to it and a wave of blue magic moved into it. Tomoyo suddenly flashed again and became her angel form. "Now, Tomoyo, I need you to feel deep down. See if you can sense a deep power in you. Feel it in the jewel. Release it."  
  
Tomoyo closed her eyes and searched. She concentrated all she could. "I. I think I can feel it. I. I've got it." Suddenly, the girl glowed once more. When it faded, she now had a halo and a sort of staff in her hands, not unlike Sakura's. Only this staff was a pale, light blue with a light pink heart at the base. "What. is this?" "I'll explain in a minute. Now, Sakura, have you got the cards out?" She nodded. "Good. Tomoyo, sit in front of the deck. We're going to do some fortune telling."  
  
No one quite understood what Eriol was getting at, but no one dared question him, either. "Assemble the cards around you in a star pattern of 20 cards." Tomoyo did so. "Now, take the top card on the highest peak and the very center card and turn them over." She did that as well.  
  
"Time. and. Through?" Eriol. "Exactly." Sakura just stared at them and looked confused. "Time and Through? What do those mean?" Kero floated down. "Well, I've never done a fortune with Sakura Cards before, so I'm not sure what it means, either. Maybe." Tomoyo held the two cards up. "Wait, I think I know what it means!" "Hoeee? You do?" Sakura looked even more lost. Tomoyo whispered something to Eriol and he whispered back. "Okay, I'll give it a try."  
  
Tomoyo stepped away towards the fire and held the two cards in her left hand. She held her new staff in the right. The heart on the end began to glow. She slowly lifted the Through Card and chanted, "Powers to move through all." She lifted the Time Card. "Take us through Time and Space to another world! COMBINE!" The two cards in her hands suddenly flashed and fused into one, blue card, "Dimension Gate." Kero, Sakura, and Meiling stood in shock. "Is that a new type of Card?!" Kero asked. "A. Tomoyo Card?!" Tomoyo seemed a bit shocked herself. "I. I guess it is," she stuttered. Eriol smiled. "Just as I thought. You can take the power of others, and fuse them with your own power. But it is only temporary, so, quick, use it!" The angel nodded. "I've always wanted to do something like this, just like my Sakura-chan!" A sweat drop rolled down Sakura's head.  
  
Tomoyo threw the card overhead. "DIMENSION GATE CARD! RELEASE! TAKE US TO THE WORLD IN MIA'S MIND!"  
  
A great swirling light appeared behind her, where the fire was seconds ago and it pulled Tomoyo through. Eriol laughed. "I knew it would work. Now, to get that Koji." HE leapt through as well, followed by Nakuru, Kaho, Spinnel, Kero, and Yue. Meiling smiled. "Hold on, Shaoran, I'm coming!" She jumped through as well. Sakura gabbed Syaoran's hat and smiled. "Wait for me, Syaoran. I'm coming, and I won't rest until I find you! I have to let you know how I feel. So just hold on!" She leapt through the portal, which soon snapped shut and the fireplace remained where it was, crackling with the flaming wood.  
  
To be continued. 


	28. Angelic Reunion

Well, new chapter up! And it may be my longest chapter ever! 25 pages! ^^;; Well, on to some bad news. It seems my editor, Aerin, has had a few problems and couldn't edit this for me yet. She's very busy and deserves a break, so we'll let it slide, of course. ^~ (She has edited every chapter so far.. That's a lot of editing.) So, this chapter may have a few typos and loop holes. But I hope to correct them if they are spotted, and I will post later on of any corrections I make.  
  
Also, you may note one scene in this chapter is suspiciously similar to a scene from the second CCS movie. Why? Because the time in their lives right now and the time the second movie is about the same. so, I am trying to blend the two, in a way. I take no legal ownership of these ideas.  
  
And on a side note, I'd like to shout out to b MOONLIT WRITER /b who sent me a wonderful e-mail, and who has been a very good reader. Thank you so much! ::gives a hug:: Feel free to e-mail me any time at wallcrawler86@aol.com or use AIM with the name "Wallcrawler86." I'd love to hear from you (and any of the people reading!)!  
  
Anyway, on with the story!  
  
Note: I do not own Card Captor Sakura, its story, its characters, or anything. It all belongs to CLAMP.  
  
c Chapter 28 Angelic Reunions /c  
  
"Where am I?" Sakura wondered out loud. Suddenly, there was the sound of a gunshot and the scream of a young girl. "Wait, that sounded. like. me!" Sakura searched all around herself but saw nothing but light. "Wait, where is everyone? Hello? Anyone?" Eriol floated up from in front of her, "Sakura, what's wrong?" She shook her head. "I'm not sure. I was just hear. and. I heard myself scream. and a gunshot. Where ARE we?" Eriol looked around. "It would seem dimensional transportation takes more energy than I first thought. We're not quite to Syaoran's dimension. Until then, we're going to be stuck in this dimension, whatever it is."  
  
The portal opened again, taking everyone out, with Sakura and Eriol last. It threw them all to the ground somewhere. When Sakura looked around she saw she was in her own back yard. Tomoyo asked, "That's strange. this dimension doesn't look any different than ours." Eriol looked around as well. "Indeed, it does look the same. But remember, these dimensions exist solely in chance. Every dimension is created off the possibility of what could happen. Therefore, the difference might be so minute that it's undetectable." Kaho nodded, and added, "Seeing as the world is so similar, I'd say this dimension won't be too different, but I don't think we should make ourselves visible. If someone was to see us. especially the version of ourselves. the results could be catastrophic." Tomoyo tilted her head and asked, "What do you mean 'versions' of us?" Meiling also asked, "Do you mean we'll be able to talk to ourselves from this place?"  
  
Eriol nodded. "Very astute. Yes, we could. but we don't want to greatly alter any dimension. That's exactly what Koji is doing, and we have to stop him before he messes something up very badly." Sakura fidgeted with the key around her neck, thinking. "Ummm. Maybe this is all too confusing for me. but what if we defeated Koji? Wouldn't that set all these dimensions back to normal?" Eriol wondered, "Actually, I'm not sure. it's possible. but only if we actually DESTROYED the very essence of Koji's power and if this dimension was directly affected by Koji's power. What that means is, only places where Koji has had a large influence on, like a dimension he directly traveled through or changed the destiny of, will revert to its original fate. It's true that changing dimensions is usually impossible. but Koji's power, just like Sadin's, is unnatural and unaccounted for in the world. Thus, if the very source of power is destroyed, it will revert our dimension to normal, which could change these dimensions back to normal, if they have been affected. It works the same way as how the world returned to normal when Sadin was killed."  
  
A light turned on outside the Kinomoto house. "Is someone out there?" Sakura gasped. "That's my dad's voice!" Ruby Moon, Yue, and Spinnel didn't want to be spotted, so as soon as they heard him, they flew to the roof of the house. Fujitaka came around the house. "Huh? Who are all of you? What are you doing here?" Touya also ran around. "Yes, who ARE you all?" Tomoyo stepped forward and figured out a lie. "We were camping out back in the woods when I got lost. I was too far from camp, a few kilometers away. We couldn't find our way back and ended up down here." Fujitaka smiled. "Ah. That's all? Well, it's getting very dark. Why don't you spend the night here?" They all bowed. "That would be most kind of you, sir." Tomoyo said. Touya didn't look so happy, though. "Dad, we don't even know them!" Fujitaka sighed. "I. know. I guess I was a bit hasty.. It's just, the house has seemed a bit empty, lately." A tear rolled down Fujitaka's cheek. Touya tried to help him. "Dad, dad, calm down. It's. I know the house hasn't been the same, but." Fujitaka wiped a tear from his face. "I'm okay. I'm okay."  
  
Sakura looked scared. "Dad.? Oh! Ummm. I mean. Sir? Is something the matter?" Her father sighed and shook his head, lifting it and smiling. "No, no, nothing's the matter. Please, come inside. You can spend the night." Touya didn't look like he had anything more to say for once. No one knew what to say. They just followed him in as Touya took his father inside.  
  
Once inside, Fujitaka sat down at the couch. He looked around at his guests who sat down. "Hmmm? Li-chan?" He focused on Meiling and suddenly they all realized their mistake. "Weren't you in China? I remember hearing that you returned a few months ago or so." Meiling sweated and tried to think. "I. ummm. I did return to China but. I.Ummm. I came back with Shaoran for a small vacation!"  
  
"Did someone call me?" Syaoran entered the room from the kitchen, carrying a tray of tea. He looked to be the same 11-year-old boy everyone remembered. As soon as he saw Meiling, he dropped it and the tea spilled on the floor. "MEILING! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Meiling jumped over and covered Syaoran's mouth. A sweat drop rolled down her head and she laughed. "Excuse me a moment." She slowly dragged Syaoran around the corner back into the kitchen.  
  
Sakura, however, was standing in shock. "Syaoran-kun?!" She rushed into the kitchen after them.  
  
".What's going on here?" Touya asked, looking confused.  
  
"Meiling, what ARE you doing here?! You were in China!" Syaoran said. "I. ummm."  
  
"Syaoran!" Sakura burst into the room and started to hug Syaoran. "I knew it! I knew you were alive!" Syaoran started to push her away. "Hold on! Who are you? Let go!" Sakura let go. "Syaoran-kun? Don't you. remember me? What about what Koji did?" Syaoran shook his head. "I don't know any Koji and. you. well. You do look familiar. somehow."  
  
Sakura gasped! "Oh, no! I'm such an idiot." She mumbled to herself. "If I'm not in the dimension where Syaoran is. then this isn't MY Syaoran. he wouldn't remember what happened."  
  
Out of the blue, Syaoran jumps back. "Wait. no. it can't be. It's impossible! I mean. Ummm. Are you. S. Sakura?"  
  
Meiling just sat pressed against the wall. "What's going on here? Shaoran?"  
  
Syaoran's eyes began to water. "Sakura, it is you, isn't it. Even in that new body." Sakura nodded. "It's me. but. you're. not you." Syaoran looked even more perplexed. "What do you mean? I thought. you couldn't be you. I mean, I don't even know how you're here!" Sakura sat down in a chair at the table. "What do you mean? This is my house. Wouldn't I always be here?"  
  
A tear rolled down Syaoran's cheek. "Meiling? Could you excuse us for a minute?" The girl didn't know what to say. She could see they had to say something in private. "Hai. I'll. just go talk to Daidouji-san."  
  
As soon as Meiling left, a tear rolled down Syaoran's cheek. "Let me begin. It all started."  
  
"A month ago. I can't believe it's been that long." Fujitaka said, turning a picture of Nadeshiko and another towards him and everyone else, who sat listening intently. "Well, Maybe I'd better."  
  
".Just show you." Syaoran finished. "I don't. know if I can talk about it." Sakura nodded. "I don't know what you mean. but I'll come with you." Syaoran stood up and showed her to the back door. He walked straight out towards the back yard. At the same time, on the other side of the house, Fujitaka led Tomoyo (with Kero in her hair, hiding), Meiling, Eriol, Touya, and Mia down the street. "I'm sorry to drag you all into this. It's just. I guess it's always been so lonely. Touya's always gone with a job." Tomoyo looked puzzled. "Well, I never thought about it. With Touya always at work, and Sakura at school or out chasing cards, it must get so lonely. Mr. Kinomoto must still grieve for his wife from time to time." she mumbled to herself.  
  
Syaoran stepped through the woods and approached what looked like a small clearing, but it was apparently a short cut to the Penguin Park. "It's just so strange. Nothing in this town has been the same for the past few months." Sakura looked puzzled. "What do you mean 'the same?' What has changed?" As she said this, though, she couldn't notice she was quite a bit taller than her old friend. "Well, I don't know. Nothing. I mean. No one. I can't explain it. Just ever since that day."  
  
"People around here just haven't been able to really smile." said Sakura's father. Meiling scratched her head. "What do you mean? This is getting weird. What DID happen?" Fujitaka turned around the corner and the park came into view. He came to a small, open area at the end of the park, about 20 meters from the King Penguin slide. Across from him were Sakura and Syaoran, standing under a pair of large Sakura trees, staring down at two small stones on the ground, and Sakura gasped. "But.. But. How is that possible?!" Tomoyo ran up to her friend. "What's wrong?!" She looked down. "Oh. no. it can't be. No!"  
  
On the stones were written:  
  
center "Kinomoto Sakura Lost tragically We pray for your happiness wherever you may go We will never forget you and all the lives you have touched You've taught us more about living than anyone could ever ask for."  
  
"Daidouji Tomoyo A true friend to all Loving, caring, giving, selfless Lost to the grief of a broken heart We pray you and your loved ones are happy wherever you are." /center  
  
Sakura and Tomoyo both covered their mouths and took a step back. "What is this?!" Sakura asked in shock.  
  
"Memorial stones. They're not graves, just memorials, but. it's." Fujitaka spoke, getting choked up with tears. "about 9 years ago, I lost my wife to an illness. Now, two months ago, my daughter, Sakura, was home alone when a crazed friend burst in, took her hostage, and shot her." Fujitaka burst out crying. Touya continued. "This kid, Li, here, showed up and called the ambulance, but it was too late. my little sis didn't make it to the hospital before she died of blood loss. If that loss weren't bad enough, about a month ago, Daidouji Tomoyo, Sakura's best friend, was still grieving. so was in so much pain that she couldn't stop crying. She was walking to school, with tears in her eyes. and never saw a car coming." He, too, began to get choked up. Sakura had rarely seen her brother cry. "She was taken to the emergency room. but didn't survive. So, that was two innocent lives taken by one madman."  
  
Meiling stepped up and started to cry as well. "Mr. Kinomoto. I. I'm sorry." Touya looked up. "Wait a second. weren't you AT the funeral?" Meiling stood back in shock. "EEK!" She thought. "My doppelganger from this world must have been there. err.. Oh, Mr. Kinomoto, I meant I'm still so sorry." Eriol stepped forward. "I'm so terribly sorry. but I assure you, I have a feel for these things. They are both free and happy."  
  
Fujitaka looked up. "Do you really think so?" Eriol smiled. "Mr. Kinomoto, I don't think, I know. Let's just say I'm a bit in touch with these things. and I'm sure your daughter and her friend will have a joyous time with your wife. So, rest easy." Fujitaka smiled for the first time in a long time. ".Thank you, sir. What did you say what your name was?" Eriol shook his head. "I didn't. Allow me to properly introduce ourselves. My name is Hiroshi Kentaro." He pointed to Mia. "This is my little sister Hiroshi Nekoi." Next, he pointed to Sakura and Tomoyo. "And these are my good friends, both sisters, Satsuki Keiko and Satsuki Rumiko, who goes to the same with me." They both bowed to Fujitaka. "And, of course, I assume you know Li Meiling." She bowed. "Yes, I do. Welcome back, Meiling." Eriol wrapped his arm around Kaho-sensei. "And this is my girlfriend, who-" "KAHO?" Touya finally gave a good look to Kaho, but before he could say something to his once-date, Fujitaka laughed. "I'm sorry, its just, I feel so happy right now."  
  
Touya smiled. It's glad to see you in high spirits again, dad." Sakura nodded. "It is, dad. HOEEE! Err. I mean. uhhh. Mr. Kinomoto."  
  
Suddenly, Touya gave Sakura a very suspicious glance. "Say, have we met somewhere before? You look VERY familiar." Sakura backed up. "Err. I don't think so. Hey, I know, why don't I go make you all some tea, since Syaoran dropped the tray? Okay! I will!" The frightened girl quickly turned around and sprinted inside, leaving a sweatdrop on Touya's face. "What was that all about?" he asked.  
  
As Sakura grabbed the teapot in the kitchen, Mia and Eriol entered the room. "Sakura, do you know what this means?" asked Eriol. "No, I have no idea what's going on!" the older Sakura replied. "I'm not dead! And neither is Tomoyo! Didn't Mia come to have me revived? And Syaoran once told me I died, but not Tomoyo!" She placed the teakettle on the stove and readied the cups. Eriol sat down in a chair and sighed, scratching his chin. "Well, for one thing, this is NOT your dimension." Mia also sat down and continued. "If, in this dimension, if I never came, out of chance, or perhaps I was never even born for some odd reason. Well, in either case, I never came, apparently. This would mean Syaoran doesn't know Koji is magic and could transport him back through time to save you and Tomoyo. Speaking of Tomoyo, if you were never saved, Tomoyo may have continued to grieve. I, after all, only arrived a week or two after your death. A month passed with Tomoyo unaltered. This could have really depressed her."  
  
There came the sound of small feet through the living room to the kitchen. "Sakura." It was Syaoran. "Can. can you tell me what's going on now? I really don't think I understand what's going on. I know you died." Eriol turned to Sakura. "He knows?" The girl smiled, trying to play innocent. "It. It was a mistake. But now. I guess we should explain. but I don't think I should talk about it here, with the possibility of someone hearing me. But where can we go?" Thy turned their heads, inspecting every nook and cranny, wondering. There was the sound of approaching feet again, but this time, of a tall man. "Ahhh. I believe you were Satsuki Keiko?" he said, looking at Sakura. "Hai," she nodded. "Then, let me show you to your room. Li here has been using it for a while. He's been generous to stay and help out around here. It was my daughter's room, and you, Li, and two more can sleep in there tonight. The rest are welcome to use the couch and floor down here with some warm blanket. I'm sorry there aren't enough beds." Eriol shook his head in disagreement. "It's quite all right. Not a problem at all." Kaho entered the room. "Thank you, Mr. Kinomoto. You've been most generous host to such a large group lost in the woods." The teapot began to boil and Sakura took it of the stove. "It's not a problem," Fujitaka repeated. "I'm just glad to see none of you are lost. Now, let me show you all to where you'll be sleeping."  
  
Sakura looked around, inspecting the house, as she was lead up the stairs, pretending it was her first time being there. Or perhaps she really wanted to look around to see what else had changed, making sure while she and Tomoyo were no longer in this world, the world still functioned the way it had before. When Fujitaka opened Sakura's old room, everything seemed in place as it had before she left. The only difference was Syaoran's backpack was on the chair, not hers, his shoes were by the bed, his pendant was sitting on the desk where her bag of Clow Cards once was, and his clothes were in the closet. "You can stay in here. I have a few sleeping bags, if you want to use them." Sakura smile. "That would be so kind of you." Fujitaka smiled back. "It's no problem. To tell you the truth, since you all came, for some odd reason, things feel more like they once were."  
  
Fujitaka left, leaving Sakura, Tomoyo, Eriol, and Syaoran alone in the room. Meiling, Kaho, and Mia were still downstairs and Spinnel, Ruby Moon, and Yue were on the roof. Kero popped out of Tomoyo's hair and yawned. "You know, I'm beat.. I'd love to sit here and talk, but I'm too hungry. so hungry. I haven't eaten in two, no, THREE hours! All this hungriness is making me tired, so I think I'll take a nap." Before anyone could object Kero sat down on the desk and fell asleep. Tomoyo giggled at the adorable sight of him.  
  
Syaoran sat down on the edge of the bed and Sakura sat beside him. "Your father has been most kind to me. I've been staying here for a few weeks to keep him company and help out. I hope you don't mind that I've had to use your room." Syaoran said as he blushed. Sakura blushed at the thought of Syaoran using her room, as well. "N-no, it's okay, it's okay. I guess I wasn't exactly here to use it." Syaoran turned t her and a few tears began to form in his eyes. "Well. staying here. I really missed you. It's still a shock today. I don't think I can ever get over it. My best friend in the world. and her best friend, too." Sakura blushed. "You'd. errr. call me your best friend? That's not. ummm. quite what. uhhh. n-nevermind." Syaoran blushed too. "Ah, I err. I meant."  
  
That's when they both noticed the air glowing with bright dots. "Ah, my dear, sweet, wonderful Sakura-chan, reunited with her Syaoran-kun.. It's too wonderful to bear!" Sakura and Syaoran fell to the floor in exasperation. Tomoyo was off in her dreamland, but still recorded them with a camera she must have smuggled in through the portal.  
  
"Errr. ANYWAY." Sakura started, trying to ignore Tomoyo's obscure way of showing friendship, "maybe I best explain to you what exactly happened."  
  
And so, Sakura retold the entire story to the Syaoran of this world. From how she was saved, to protecting Kumiko, to Syaoran saving her from Koji's kidnapping of her into the past, and finally, Aerin. Syaoran just sighed afterwards. "So. I guess. that means you won't be staying in this world." Eriol shook his head. "We can't. Just by being here and telling you this, we are at great risk of altering the destiny of this dimension even further." Sakura turned to Eriol, as if to ask a question, but decided not to. "Eriol's right. We. We have to move on. But don't worry. Remember, don't give up hope. And maybe. you can find Koji in THIS world!" Syaoran raised one eyebrow and dropped silent. "What I mean is, maybe you could find Koji like the you from my world did and try to save the me from this world!" Eriol shook his head. "I don't know. this is a very complicated matter. When Koji took the Mirror of Time, he was, in a way, disconnected with reality. His destiny is very altered, so he may or may not reappear here. However, the very fact we know of his actions here means he still affects everything greatly and it is possible he could show up here. And even if he doesn't, there are alternate ways of time travel. Clow Cards aren't near the only source of magic in the world, you know."  
  
That's when Syaoran smiled for the first time since Sakura had arrived and seen him. "Arigatou, Sakura-chan. I feel a lot better now. I'm going to try and bring MY Sakura-chan back to life. I'm going to give this town some life again when I bring you and Tomoyo back to life. I mean the you from. You know what I mean. But. thank you so very much."  
  
Before the Li of the current dimension could reach out with all of his will power and strength to hug Sakura, there came a thump from somewhere in the room. "Hoe? What was that?" Sakura stood up, leaving Li-kun hanging, still too embarrassed to move from his hugging position. She looked out the window, but nothing appeared. The knock came from inside Sakura's desk. She slowly bent down to open it. "H-hello?"  
  
The drawer popped open and scared Sakura, throwing her back and banging her head on the desk. "Konyanyachiwa!" Kero-chan popped out of the drawer, greeted Sakura in his typical Osakan accent, and hugged her. "SAKURA! YOU'RE BACK! YOU'RE BACK! I HEARD THE WHOLE THING!" Sakura rubbed the bump on her head and asked, "What do you mean? Weren't you napping ON the desk?"  
  
Kero shook his head, as he pointed to. himself. sleeping on the desk. "I'm from THIS world. I've missed you for months!" The Kero of Sakura's real dimension slowly began to wake. "Hmmm? What? Hey, who's THAT handsome guy?" The Kero from the alternate dimension smiled and then chuckled. "I could say the very same thing!" Both Keros glared at each other, grinning and flexing. "It always surprises me just how good-looking I am." one of the two said. "Be sure to get some good footage of this, Tomoyo!"  
  
"KERO-CHAN!" Sakura screamed right at the two plush-like guardians. "Don't you think you should be explaining to me what's going on here, and not what you think you look like?"  
  
The Kero from the world they were visiting putting a finger in his ear and cringed. "All right, all right, just not so loud! Sheesh!"  
  
He sat down at the edge of the desk. "What do you want to know?" Sakura sat down on the bed and asked, "Well, first of all, if I'm not here, who owns the Clow Cards I thought you and Yue depended on my power to survive." Kero nodded and took the book of the Clow out of the desk. "We do, but when you died, and we started to fade into nothingness, Eriol connected us, in a way, to his power, but it is still draining him. That's why Eriol and the two of us are trying to give the cards to the brat here." Syaoran's eyes grew cat-like in anger and he lowered his face to the plush-cat-like beast. "What did you call me?" Kero grinned and waved his small paw in Syaoran's face, turning his face away. "I didn't call you anything. Nothin'. Anyway, as I was saying," Kero floated onto Sakura's shoulder, "we were giving the cards to the kid so he could support us as the Master, even if he didn't win that Final Judgment." Syaoran stretched his arms and sat down. "It's hard work switching cards. I've been exhausted. I never realized how hard you had it, Sakura. Some days, I can barely get out of bed because I'm so tired. Luckily, I was awake today." Sakura nodded, for she knew the feeling all of too well. "I." she yawned. "You know, speaking of tired, I think maybe I'll be going to bed, soon, too."  
  
Syaoran pulled out a sleeping bag from the closet and set it down. I think I'll go to bed, too. I have quite a bit to think about." Eriol went for the door. "Hmmm? Eriol-kun? Aren't you going to stay and sleep in here?" Eriol smiled warmly, like he always did. His looking at Sakura started to make Syaoran a bit mad and he started to get angry. However, he remembered this Sakura was not even of his world, so he calmed down. "Actually, Sakura- chan, I have my own place to sleep downstairs." "I do too," Tomoyo added. "Hmmm? Tomoyo? You too? You're not going to stay in here?" Tomoyo shook her head and smiled. "I have some things to tell Meiling and the others, of what we learned today, and a few. other things."  
  
As Tomoyo left, Sakura was left dumbfounded. "Hoe? Other. things?" Syaoran flattened out his bed on the floor by the edge of the desk. "Hoeee! Syaoran! What are you doing? You can't sleep on the floor!" The boy looked up, showing he had no idea why. "What are you talking about, Sakura? This is your room!" Sakura shook her head. "But it isn't! It's your room now!" Syaoran didn't want to move from his position, and it showed. "But I can't! I'm sleeping on the floor! I can't take your bed! It's yours!" Sakura shook her head again. "But it's yours! What can we do?"  
  
5 minutes later, Sakura was sound asleep on a bag on the floor, hugging Kero, and Syaoran was in another bag beside her, as the Kero from his time rested beside him in the same bag.  
  
The moon rose and Nakuru, Yue, and Suppi stared up at the moon from the roof. (Eriol and Sakura offered to let them sleep downstairs, but they said they liked it up there.)  
  
Hours passed and morning finally came. "Breakfast!" Touya's voice hollered throughout the house. Sakura sat up and straightened her now long hair as the morning sun shined in through her window and over the land of the rising sun. Syaoran awoke, too, and stretched his arms. Both Keros leapt into the air. "BREAKFAST!" they shouted. "WOOHOO! BREAKFAST!" The two beasts held hands in midair and spun around in circles. Sakura leaped for the door just as Syaoran did after they both stood up. Their hands touched and they blushed. "Oh, oh, so sorry!" Sakura said, laughing, her face still red. Syaoran was even redder. "N-no, it's no problem at all." Syaoran opened the door and left.  
  
Sakura closed the door but quickly opened it again. "Oh, Kero and Kero, behave yourselves! If anyone sees TWO of you." One Kero nodded, "Yeah, yeah, we know, we know. I'll just go to the roof with Ruby, Yue, and Spinnel, okay? I gotta talk to them." "All right." Sakura shut the door and ran downstairs as fast as she could. Everyone was awake and moving about except Eriol and Kaho, who were still sleeping, holding each other tight.  
  
When Sakura reached the kitchen table, though, she noticed a rather smug grin on Touya's face as he sat at the table. His dark brown eyes glistened. "You know. when you run down the stairs like that. you sound like a giant monster." Veins began to pop on Sakura's forehead and her fist clenched tight. "After all of that. and out promise that you wouldn't say. say. I AM NOT A MONSTER!" Sakura raised her foot up high and slammed it down on Touya's foot, and he fell over in his chair from the pain, but he was grinning as he hit the floor. He stood up and pointed his finger straight out. "I knew it! You're Sakura!"  
  
"HOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?!" Sakura fell backwards in shock and pressed against the wall. Tomoyo, Syaoran, and everyone else down there turned their heads in shock. Sakura's scream was so loud it woke up Eriol and Kaho immediately.  
  
"B-b-but Onii-I mean, Kinomoto T-Touya, I can't be Sakura! I mean, ummm. she died!" Touya grabbed her hand. "Yes, she did. But you're her ghost!"  
  
There was dead silence. until everyone (except Kaho, who remained calm), Syaoran, Tomoyo, Sakura, Meiling, Eriol, fell to the floor in exasperation.  
  
Kaho calmly walked up to Touya and put her finger to his lips. "Calm down, Touya-kun. I know how much you miss your sister, but you have to stop looking for her like this." "Kaho." Touya muttered, unsure what to say. "This girl, I can tell you truthfully, is not the ghost of your sister. I've been traveling with her quite some distance from here. I know there's a resemblance, and they do act a little similar, but she is not the ghost of your sister. After all, we can all see her, can't we?" Touya sighed and nodded. "I'm sorry, Satsuki-san. I guess I just miss my sister too much." a tear ran down his cheek.  
  
Sakura's eyes began to water. "No. there's no need to apologize. I understand." She thought to herself, "this is really my brother, crying, for me." She stretched her arms out and hugged Touya, trying to comfort him. "It's okay." Touya scratched his chin. "But there's two things I want to know. One: Why do you keep trying to call me onii-chan?" Sakura blushed and stepped back. "Umm. I." "Because you look so very much like our brother." "Hoe?" Tomoyo stepped up and smiled, giving one of her patented lies. "I just noticed it now. You really do look like our brother, Toru. He spends so much time at a college different than mine, and since Keiko is still in high school, we rarely see him. I guess since you both look alike, she sees him in you."  
  
Touya nodded. "I guess that makes sense. But my second question. Kaho. What are you doing here?" The mysterious ex-teacher to Sakura and her friends just smiled. "I can't tell you that." Touya stepped closer. "But, I-" Kaho just smiled and raised one finger in the air. "Don't worry, there's no need for you to know right now. Trust me. In the end, it will be all right." Touya stood still, and silent, trying to comprehend what Kaho could have meant, but he knew nothing of what was going on. "Okay. I trust you. If you're with all of these people, I trust them, too."  
  
Touya picked up his bag and headed for the door. "I promised dad I'd meet him at the University today. He's been there since early this morning, working on something. I'll bring him some food and help him for a bit. We should both be back early tonight." He closed the door and left.  
  
Meiling and Tomoyo approached Sakura. "Hoe? What are you doing?" They each grabbed her hand. "Daidouji-san asked me to help her get you ready for something," said Meiling with a smile. Tomoyo just nodded and smiled. "Hoe?" "Oh, and maybe Shaoran wants to join us, and maybe Yue, Ruby Moon, both Keros, and Spinnel Sun. Plus, that Eriol guy. he'll come, no doubt." Meiling added. "HOEEEE! What are we going to need all of them for?" "And what am I supposed to do," Syaoran said, utterly clueless. Tomoyo just grinned and said, "You'll see."  
  
The very ground shook with the roar of the giant beast over the forest. The giant reptile was covered from head to toe in protective scales. It was a walking mound of defense, only its long, lizard-like tail was trying to whip through the air and its turtle-like mouth snapped in the air.  
  
A streak of light surged through the air like lightning and struck the lizard in the mouth, causing it to make a giant roar. Yue dropped down to the top of a tree, standing on the toes of one bare foot, and prepared another arrow. Two cat-like creatures, one black and one yellow, flew above the giant monster and came flying down, scorching it with fire from their mouths. "It's not working!" Kero said to Spinnel. "I know. That hide is too thick. Yue's arrow shows it has to be hurt from within." "Then that's where we'll hit it!" Ruby moon popped up beside the two beasts and she and Yue fired at the same time. However, this time the beast saw their attack and turned its back to the arrows, absorbing them. It charged down the empty hillside towards them. "It's coming this way!" Kero shouted.  
  
Then, Sakura arrived. "JUMP!" Sakura leaped from the ground, rustling the tree Yue sat on and she got a good look at the creature. "I know! WATERY!" The Spirit of Water emerged form her glowing staff, and it drenched the beast. "SYAORAN! NOW!"  
  
"It's okay, Syaoran, just try your hardest," his Kero said, as the boy rode him in his true form. "I. will." Syaoran took out his deck of Clow Cards, which had all reverted to normal when Sakura died, and he drew one. He took out his sword, which had been summoned on the ground. He threw the card straight ahead and when it came back, he touched it with the tip of his sword, causing both the sword and card to glow in a rainbow of colors. "FLY!" Since Syaoran has only a sword, a pair of white wings sprouted from his back and he flew into the sky beside Sakura. He grabbed another card and threw it above him. "THUNDER!" The skies over the beast darkened and a screaming hound of pure electricity leaped through the air. It landed on the back of the reptilian beast and howled. A bolt of lightning came from above and struck it, causing the monster to roar in pain. Sakura drew another card and threw it straight ahead. "SHOT!" A tiny fairy-like creature emerged from this card, and immediately began to fire all it had at the creature's mouth. All of its shots went into the jaw of the beast, and it slowly dissolved into nothingness. Sakura, Syaoran, Kero, Spinnel, and Ruby Moon all gave a cheer. "That was great!" exclaimed Ruby Moon.  
  
"FLY!" Sakura sat on her staff, surveying the area. Tomoyo flew up in her angelic form to speak to Sakura. She held onto her camcorder. "That was stupendous! Certainly, I could expect no less from my Sakura-chan!" A sweat drop rolled down Sakura's head. "Tomoyo, remind me why I'm doing this again." "Your outfit, of course!" Sakura looked down at her latest outfit. It was a pink dress, where the skirt was shaped like overlapping Sakura blossoms that went halfway to her knees. Her coat was just a pink vest with a pink rose pinned to the front. "It's a little. ummm. pink, too. Even more than usual, if that's possible." Tomoyo inspected the jacket and said, "Yes, I do think I might want to move to a nice red or blue. And the skirt looks too light, so, the wind must really be a bother if it tangles your legs."  
  
Syaoran floated up on his wings and asked, "Wait a minute. Are you telling us that the only reason we fought that giant monster was so you could make adjustments to Sakura's costume?!" He looked quite upset and angry. Tomoyo nodded. "Of course!" Syaoran sighed. "How did you even know a monster would BE here?" Sakura blushed. "Ummm. I kind of. created it. with the Create Card. because Tomoyo told me to." Kero looked down below at them and asked, "Is that true?" Tomoyo just nodded. Keroberos smiled. "So, Tomoyo, you can be quite evil when you want to be." Tomoyo looked down. "Well, now that Sakura has changed all the cards, I had to think of some way to get Sakura back in her outfits so I can see what is best, and then get it on tape." Tomoyo laughed out loud at her own plan, causing Sakura and Syaoran to slowly back away. "That girl scares me." Ruby Moon said. Tomoyo dropped to the ground for a second and she spoke with Meiling, who was waiting below. Then she rose back up. "What was that all about?" Syaoran asked. "Oh, nothing, nothing."  
  
Eriol called from down below to Syaoran. He and his two friends lowered themselves to him on the ground. "Well done, Syaoran. You too, Sakura. But I must admit, I'd never have expected you to take to using someone else's cards so fast, but you're performing quite well." Syaoran landed and his wings vanished. He bowed to Eriol. "Thank you." The Kero from this alternate world returned to his smaller form and landed on Syaoran's shoulder. "Hey, don't be so stiff. You deserve it! You've been going under a lot of stress. You lost your best friend, were forced to take on her responsibility, and have been tired all month for it, practicing." Sakura put her hand on his shoulders and smiled. "You've done so much, Syaoran." The boy's face immediately turned red and he went speechless. "I. errr. ummm. thanks. I."  
  
Sakura thought for a second. "Well, if we have all the outfit decisions Tomoyo needs and I think we've warmed up for one day. Then why don't we go check at Mia at home? I mean, the whole reason we're HERE is because concentrating on Koji was so strenuous for her that she needed a break." Eriol turned away from Sakura to face Tomoeda, which was some ways off in the distance. "That's a good idea. I had her sleep on your bed. Hmm?" He looked at his watch. "It's already getting to be mid-afternoon, so your brother will be home soon, anyway." Sakura nodded. "That's a good idea! Come on, Syaoran! Fly with me!" Syaoran's face was still red. "Ummm. uhhh. Okay. I think the Fly Card is. uhhh.. Here it is!" Still clumsy with embarrassment from over praise, he threw the card forward and summoned it. "FLY!" A great pair of wings grew from Syaoran's back and he took off into the sky, side by side with Sakura.  
  
When they reached the Kinomoto residence again, Sakura, Syaoran, and Tomoyo all landed on the roof of the house, put their wings away, and climbed through the window. "Here you go," Sakura said, holding Syaoran's hand to help him jump down through the window. Spinnel, the two Keros, and Yue came in shortly thereafter. A Kero was carrying Meiling on his back. "Where's Nakuru?" asked Syaoran. Tomoyo looked around. "I'm not sure where she could have gone-"  
  
"AUGH!"  
  
A scream of utter terror came from the front door. Sakura and everyone charged down the stairs to the front door. to see Nakuru sitting on top of Touya, who was face down on the concrete. "I said get off me," Touya said with more than just a hint of anger in his voice. "BUT I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!" the insane girl screamed, still hanging onto his throat with a grip that could crush just about anything. "Well, I didn't miss you," Touya said coldly. "Oh, you're so CUTE when you're all huffy like that!" "Whatever." Touya stood up, with an extremely giddy Nakuru still clinging to him, as if he were a giant, cuddly, teddy bear.  
  
Suppi just watched all of this from above on the roof. "Idiot." he muttered.  
  
"Don't you have someplace to be, Akizuki?" Touya asked. Everyone except Eriol stood there, with a sweat drop, and stared. "Awwww. I told you, call me Nakuru! It's so much that I wanted to see you?" The annoyed boy just ignored her and walked inside with ease, dragging a small bag behind him.  
  
Meiling's eye twitched and she slowly backed away. "Does she ALWAYS act like that?" Syaoran nodded. "Sadly, yes." As soon as Touya entered the front door, and everyone started to follow, a car pulled up into the driveway. The door opened and Fujitaka stepped out, carrying his briefcase. "Mr. Kinomoto!" Sakura said. "Hello!" Tomoyo added. "I'm getting better at acting like 'Keiko,' I think." Sakura thought to herself. "Hmmm? What are those?" Meiling asked pointing to Fujitaka. "Hello, all of you." Fujitaka said. "These? Oh, these are just some Nadeshiko flowers. It's. been 15 years today, actually, that Nadeshiko, my wife, died. So, I picked these up and will bring them to the cemetery, soon." He pulled out a branch of the most beautiful of cherry blossoms. "And these for my daughter." The crowd drew quiet. "Oh, I'm so sorry." Tomoyo said. "I. I didn't know. We must be a bother during these harsh times." Fujitaka smiled weakly. "No, no trouble at all. On the contrary, you are most helpful. Still. I never let Sakura see it, but at this time of the year, I've always been a little sad. Most of the year, it doesn't really bother me. I know my wife is happy where she is. but now. this year." Syaoran stepped up to Fujitaka and grabbed his arm gently. "It's okay. We understand. Come, why don't you just lie down?" Fujitaka looked up at the sky. "Okay. but I can't go to sleep. I just remembered. Nadeshiko. she and I always loved to stargaze during full moons, like there is tonight. She was always happy, and nights like tonight will be is no exception. So, I want to see it."  
  
As Syaoran entered the house with Fujitaka, a thought hit Sakura. "Hold on, Tomoyo?" Her friend turned to face her. "Yes?" Sakura gave a look of uncertainty. perhaps she had misheard things this morning. "Didn't onii- chan say that he was going to go with my father to the University today?" Eriol nodded. "Yes, he did. What's your point?" Sakura stared at the door, slightly confused. "Well, if the both came home at the same time, from the same place, why was onii-chan walking here while my father drove home?" Tomoyo looked up for a minute and scratched her chin. "That is a good question. but did you notice he was carrying something?" "Hoe?" Sakura thought back. "I think so. but why would he.? Never mind. It's probably none of my business. Let's just go help my dad."  
  
A minute later, Fujitaka was safe back in his study, working, and everyone was resting up. Meiling was helping Tomoyo in the kitchen, Nakuru, Yue, Kero, and Spinnel spoke of past adventures in the backyard, and everyone else was in the living room, where Mia lie, resting. "Are you feeling better and rested?" Eriol asked, charmingly, as if he were her father. The little girl looked up and smiled. "Yes, I am. I think tomorrow, we can leave. I can already start to get a fix on Koji." Kaho smiled. "That's wonderful. Rest up, then. Just call if you need anything, and we'll assist." Mia nodded as Kaho gave her usual encouraging smile. "And don't worry about any of this. Everything will turn out fine. I know it." Mia smiled. "No worries. Thank you." She yawned. "Shoot. I'm just a little younger. still, I get pretty sleepy." Sakura pulled up the covers on the blankets she was resting under as the girl fell asleep again. "Good-night."  
  
Eriol left to follow Kaho downstairs while Sakura went to her room. She had built up a sweat fighting that monster of her own creation and wanted to change, when she noticed light coming from under her door. "Hmmm? Syaoran? Is that you in there?" "Did you call me?" Syaoran asked as he climbed up the stairs from below. "Hoe? No, I didn't. It's just. if you're here, Tomoyo and everyone is downstairs." She slowly opened her door to see.  
  
"Kinomoto Touya-san?" Touya was lying down on her bed, stretched out, until she entered, and he sat up. "Oh. you're back." His face turned slightly red. "What are you doing in Syaoran's room?" Touya sighed and blushed more. "I. had to do something."  
  
He reached over the bed and pulled up a white bag with a crown drawn on the side. "For you." He said quietly. "Sakura looked at the bag silently. "For. me? Why?" Touya remained silent. Inside was an endearing plush, white teddy bear with angel wings and a halo. "What. Thank you. it's. ADORABLE! But. why?" Touya sighed. "Look, I'm sorry I called you a monster and accused you of being Sakura. So, I wanted to buy you something.. But keep this in mind: I DON'T like to apologize, so don't tell anyone, okay?" Sakura smiled, and Syaoran did too. "Thank you!" Sakura said, hugging her onii-chan. "H-hey! Cut it out! I already apologized," Touya shouted. Sakura looked down at the bear. "You know. I think this gives me an idea."  
  
Hours pass.  
  
"Pardon me, Mr. Kinomoto?" Kaho sensei said, entering the study slowly, just peeking in through the door. Fujitaka spun around in his desk to face her. "Yes? Is something the matter?" Kaho grinned and shook her head. "No, nothing like that. There's just something I'd like to show you." Fujitaka dropped his eyes in thought, wondering what she could possibly show him in his own house. She opened the door fully and walked him through the kitchen and through the door to the backyard. "Excuse me, but, where are we going?" Fujitaka asked. "You'll see," said Kaho, remaining cheerful as ever.  
  
Night had already fallen and the stars were out. As the rounded the house, a gentle light slowly came into view. ".Fireflies?" Fujitaka wondered. As they approached, they saw it was not fireflies, but small lanterns in the ground. They sat on the ground, around a long table, covered in the dinner for the evening. "What. what is all this?" Sakura and Tomoyo stepped into the light. Sakura wore a larger version of her kimono from the summer festival she went to with Yukito. It was long, pink, with pictures of Sakura blossoms sewed into it. A large, red ribbon was wrapped around her waist and she walked in traditional sandals. Her hair was wound up very nicely with two flower pins, one on each side. Tomoyo wore her garb from the festival, as well. It was very similar to Sakura's, only a light yellowish-green with yellow flowers printed on it. Her hair was braided with a large, yellow ribbon.  
  
Sakura smiled and hugged her father. "Well, you seemed so sad, and wanted to stargaze like always, so we took the liberty of setting up dinner out here under the stars." Tomoyo continued, "After all, you said you and your wife loved it, and we wanted to pay you back for your hospitality." Fujitaka's eyes lit up and a giant smile came to his face. "Oh, but you didn't have to." "We WANTED to." Sakura stated. "Syaoran came out wearing his own green robe. "Come, sit down." Touya came next, carrying a tray of food. His face was red, doing all this work in his own tan robe, covered in peach designs. "Remind me how I got talked into being the waiter like this." Meiling stepped in, dressed in her bright red kimono, similar to her battle costume, with the yin-yang symbol between her legs and on her back. "Because your other friend got to be chef." Yukito set the final piece of food down at the table (surprisingly, he was not eating it). "Oh, hello Mr. Kinomoto!" He was dressed in a white robe that was imprinted with a large gray-white rabbit on the front and back. Meiling waved her hand. "Besides, you've had plenty of experience as a waiter."  
  
(Author's note: This Yukito is not the same Yukito that came with Sakura through the portal in the form of Yue. It is the Yukito of this world. Yue, Kero, and Suppi obviously would not want to be seen. Nakuru on the other hand.)  
  
"Uhhh. Akizuki?" Touya said. "Could you let go of my neck while I'm carrying a tray? And what are you even still DOING here?" Nakuru was in her butterfly-covered, red kimono, clinging to Touya's poor neck, yet again. "But how could I leave now? Besides, I wanted to help!"  
  
Even Mia was there. She sat down at one of the tables in a light blue kimono with campanula blossoms on it. A tight, dark blue sash was wrapped around her waist. She seemed a little tired and quiet, but fine.  
  
"Wow. I can't. I can't believe you'd go to all this trouble for me." Tomoyo just pulled a seat out for him at the end of the table. "Don't worry, it's no trouble at all." she said, and they all sat down to eat.  
  
When they finished, Fujitaka leaned back and stared straight up into the sky. "They're beautiful, aren't they?" Sakura stood up. "They are. Hey, everyone, follow me!" She ran to the side of the house, baffling everyone. Still, everyone stood and followed, leaving the messy tables as is. Sakura grabbed a ladder from the side of the house and set it up. Tomoyo saw this and held it steady. She began to climb. "Keiko-san. Ummm. May I call you that?" Touya asked. "Sure," Sakura said, smiling. "Keiko-san, where are you going?" Sakura reached the roof. "To the roof, of course. If the stars are great tonight, we can get a better view from up here!" Without another word, everyone began to climb. Tomoyo was the last up and Touya held the ladder sturdy from the top while she climbed.  
  
Sakura lied down beside Syaoran and Yukito and gazed up at the glimmering moon. "It's such a beautiful evening, isn't it?" Sakura asked Syaoran, rolling over to him. He nodded. "Yeah. the moon's full, the stars are bright, the air is clean, and you're beautif-" Syaoran stopped mid-sentence, realizing he was about to say how he felt of Sakura, even if it wasn't the one from his world and she was a bit older. Deep down, she was the same Sakura. "Hoeee? I'm what?" Sakura said, completely oblivious to what he meant. He eyes became small slits and she just stared at him, dazed and confused. "Errr. nothing. say. Mr. Kinomoto, what do you think? Mr. Kinomoto?"  
  
Everyone turned to see Fujitaka, sitting at the highest point of the house, staring blankly at the moon. "Mr. Kinomoto, are you all right?" Mia asked, crawling over to him on all fours. Fujitaka shook his head and came to. "Ah, I'm sorry. I was lost in thought. I just thought I heard. some.thing. or someone." "Hoe? Someone?" Sakura muttered. "Would it happen to be. someone you know well?" Kaho asked. Fujitaka shook his head again. "Just forget about it. It's not something to worry about. I'm just a little out of it tonight. I'm thinking of memories of days long past. that's all." Touya sighed. "Well, if you say you're okay." He eyed the moon. "But I do sense something familiar."  
  
More and more minutes passed which became an hour or so. Most everyone had fallen asleep. Syaoran lied stretched out, his head on Sakura's stomach. Mia sat up against the chimney, sound asleep, with Meiling leaning against it as well, and Tomoyo at her feet. Kaho was still awake, but Eriol lie asleep, his head in her lap. Yukito and Nakuru slept beside Touya, with both Yukito and Nakuru's arms around him subconsciously.  
  
Fujitaka, though, still sat awake. "I still feel it. What is it? Who's there?"  
  
Sakura's nose started to tickle. She scratched it in her sleep, but it didn't go away. She woke up and saw it was a sakura blossom. "Hoe? Where did this come from?" She sat up, and Syaoran woke up. "Oh, I'm sorry Syaoran!" He rubbed his eyes and sat up as well. "It's okay, no problem. What's wrong?" Another cherry blossom landed on his head. "Where did this come from?" He asked. Tomoyo woke up, too. "Hmmm? Sakura? Syaoran? Why are you up? And where did this nadeshiko blossom come from?" "I don't know. What about. these. sakura." Syaoran stopped prematurely and stared above them as a gust of flowers filled the cool, night air. "HOEEE! Where did all these flowers come from!" Tomoyo grabbed her camera and started to film it, but still looked concerned. "It's just like the time you caught the Flower Card! But you caught all of the cards and Eriol said he was the one playing all those tricks to help you. So this can't be the work of Clow Reed!" Meiling yawned as she woke up. "What's going on, Shaoran? And why do you have a bunch of flowers on your head?" Syaoran shook his head and the flowers fell. "What the hell is going on?" He asked.  
  
Sakura helped Eriol stand up, and while he was still drowsy, she asked, "Eriol, are you SURE you're not doing this? Did you create these flowers?" Still exhausted, Eriol yawned and put his hand over his mouth before saying, "What flowers? I've been asleep. I haven't even used any magic since this morning."  
  
Fujitaka got to his feet. ".Are. you here.? Sakura.? Nadeshiko.?"  
  
A blinding light came from the moon, and three figures slowly floated into view. "Who's that?!" Sakura asked. The light dimmed and the three people came into view. Floating there, in the air, were three gorgeous angels. Each was a beautiful girl, dressed in a long, flowing, white gown, blowing in the wind just as fast as her hair. A pair of feathery, pure white wings spread from their backs, looking more majestic than the strongest of falcons and more lovely than the most majestic of doves.  
  
Sakura and everyone gasped. "It's. me!" Sakura gasped. "Me, too!" Tomoyo added.  
  
Indeed, when the faces of the three angels became visible, the group found themselves facing Sakura, Tomoyo, and Nadeshiko.  
  
The angel of Nadeshiko opened her eyes and smiled beautifully at her husband. "Hello, Fujitaka. it's been some time." He smiled back. "Sakura.. Nadeshiko. Daidouji. you've all come back. to see me?" The Angel Sakura shook her head. "We came to see everyone." Touya stared in shock. "But. but. why?" Angel Tomoyo clasped her hands and smiled, saying, "Because we saw that as much as you were getting on with your lives. you were worried for our happiness. We want to make you happy, though. all of your happiness." Angel Sakura flew over landed on the roof and hugged her father. "You shouldn't worry for us."  
  
Tears began to pour from his eyes. "Sakura. I. I." Nadeshiko put one finger to his lip. "You don't need to say anything." Angel Sakura landed before her onii-chan and smiled again. "Onii-chan. You've always picked on me. but I always knew you were just trying to act tough. Thank you for caring." Touya blushed. "Well, I. I." Sakura just quieted him and stated like her mother, "It's okay. I understand perfectly. You don't need to say a word."  
  
Syaoran stared at the Angel Sakura and then Sakura herself. "But if she. and you. and. Wait. hold on. Who.?" Sakura bent down to Syaoran's height and whispered, "I'm Sakura. but this must be the me that died here in your world." Angel Tomoyo floated over to the two and hugged them both suddenly. "It is good to see you both again." Sakura sweat dropped. "Ummm. Well, actually, for me, it hasn't been too long." Tomoyo came over and greeted her double. "Good evening!" The angelic doppelganger turned to her and smiled back. "Hello, too! I'm glad to see me." "Yes, it is a pleasure. It was so nice of you to drop by and visit." The angel smiled. "I could say the same."  
  
Mia, Syaoran, Meiling, Sakura and even Sakura's angel sweat dropped again. "Did anyone else think one Daidouji-san was more than strange enough?" They all nodded in agreement.  
  
Angel Sakura returned to her father and brother and said, but to say why we're here, we have come back for now to help. You see. We miss you all up in Heaven. but it is a beautiful place up there. And we are not lonely. and we will meet again one day. So. father. brother. you do not have to worry. E are very happy, and someday, we'll all be together again." Fujitaka's face lit up, and a tear dropped to the roof. "Thank you. that's all I needed to hear. As long as. you all are happy. I can live my life in happiness." Touya stayed silent, but the look on his face, a look of bashfulness and happiness at the same time. Deep in his eyes, one could see he was glad, as well.  
  
Angel Sakura hugged her mother and smiled. "And now, I live with my mother and." She hugged Angel Tomoyo, "One of my best friends." "One of.?" Syaoran muttered, trying to remain unheard. His attempts were unsuccessful, though, and Sakura hovered over to him. She bent in closer to his face, making their lips almost touching. Immediately, his face reddened and his heart pounded. "Syaoran. you are the other. My other best friend. and. I think before I can return to Heaven, I must speak with you." The poor, embarrassed boy almost felt his heart stop in shock. "A-a-a-a-a-alright." Angel Sakura turned to her mother and said, "Mother, before I return with you." Nadeshiko knew this would come and only said, "Don't worry. Take all the time you need. I have my own things to take care of."  
  
Eriol took the hint. "Hmmm. It looks like we're the crowd today. I think we'd best just leave for now." Before anyone could object, he, Kaho, Nakuru, Meiling, and Mia were gone. Only Sakura, Tomoyo, Syaoran, and Yukito remained, the latter of which walked over to Touya. "This must be awfully confusing for you." He just nodded in agreement. He put his arm on Touya's shoulder. "Here, let's go. we can talk in private down there." They both then climbed down the ladder.  
  
"Come, follow me!" Angel Sakura said. She grabbed onto Syaoran's hand and flew off the roof, much to his surprise, but he didn't yell. He was used to heights. Angel Tomoyo grabbed Sakura by the hand, but she wasn't so quiet at first out of sheer surprise. "Where are we going?!" she asked, but quickly remembered her angel form talking about a private place. However, this angel Tomoyo didn't take Sakura closer to her angel; instead, she took her a safe distance away, under a small tree at the edge of the woods. "Here. let's not disturb them." Angel Tomoyo said.  
  
"Syaoran. it's been a long time," said the beautiful and young angel to her friend. "Yes. it has. Two or three months to be more accurate," Syaoran replied, his face now a normal, peach color again. He seemed more sad then embarrassed. "Things just haven't been the same after you died. Even Kereberos stopped eating." Angel Sakura sighed. "I did not mean to leave you so soon. I never wanted to make you unhappy." A tear rolled down her cheek, fell to the ground, and vanished. She was an angel, so she could not shed real tears. "I saw you crying. for the first month. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to spy." Syaoran held onto her. Though she did not really exist, he could still touch her. "Sakura. You didn't make me sad. You've made me only happy." He stared her in the eyes and smiled, not a hint of redness came to his face. What he said came from the heart. "I admit. I miss you. and it hurts. It hurts a lot. But..." He smiled and put his hand in her hair. "As long as you're happy, I'm happy."  
  
The angel blushed and twiddled her fingers, staring at her bare, floating feet. "Thank you."  
  
Angel Tomoyo stared off at a distance, her eyes glistening, and a video recorder in one hand. "It's just so adorable! Confessions of feelings. all from my Sakura-chan and her dear Li-kun." Sakura sweat dropped again and stared at her angel friend strangely as they sat on a tree branch. "Ummm. Do you think it's okay for us to listen to what she's. I mean I am. saying.? And I didn't know angels even had VCR's to use."  
  
Angel Sakura stopped looking at the ground and started to smile. "Thank you. and remember. we can be together again. someday." Syaoran looked up at the bright moon. "You mean. up there? In Heaven? As angels?" Sakura floated up higher. "Here. hold my hand." She offered him her hand and he held on tight. Suddenly, they both rose even higher until they both floated above the town. "Now. You don't have to hold on. I can keep you flying."  
  
However, Syaoran didn't let go. "You know. I think I'd like to hold your hand still." "Oh. okay." They both blushed, but then forgot their embarrassment when they looked around them. The town below and the stars above. Everything was perfect. No painting, poem, or story could recreate the feeling they had seeing it all fit together.  
  
"Syaoran." Sakura began. "You asked if we would be together in Heaven. Well, all people go to Heaven. but only the most innocent, the purest, and the kindest become angels." Syaoran turned his head away and looked disappointed. "Then it's no wonder you're an angel. But. I guess. well, I guess one day, after I die, you'll have to stop by and visit me there." Sakura smiled. "Don't worry, Syaoran. I already know you're going to be one." He looked at her again, and raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?" She smiled. "Well, you're the nicest boy I've met." He blushed. "You're very sweet." He blushed worse. "Well, to me, you are more than qualified. Plus, I've talked with some of the head angels, and they seem to agree you're a very good person with a strong heart."  
  
Syaoran couldn't take it anymore and looked away. "Errr. well. I." He pulled his legs into an Indian-style position and spun around to her again. "But. can I ask you one question?" Sakura nodded. "Well, you've said you're happy in Heaven." He stared into the moon. "But. are you happier than you would be here? Do you still wish you were alive?" Sakura didn't know what to say. "I. I don't know." Her emerald eyes, still shining, even after death still glowed. "I love being with my mother. and. Tomoyo. but. Still, while I am happy. My heart hurts." "Your heart?" She clutched her chest. "Yes. My heart. It feels so empty. I have so many friends, still. but I still feel a little lonely. I do miss my friends at school. I'll never know who Rika-chan's love is. I'll never be afraid of one of Naoko-chan's scary stories again. I even miss falling for Yamazaki-kun's lies. I miss onii- chan calling me a monster every morning, too. I miss Kero's cheerfulness and energetic ways. I miss my dad's smile, always letting me know things were okay. I know I would meet them all again someday, but right now. I still miss them. I'm a little afraid that when I do see them again they'll have forgotten me."  
  
"No. That's not true." Syaoran stood up. "Hoe?" "Sakura, people could never forget you. Your friends and family couldn't forget you in ten billion years." A tear fell down Sakura's cheek. "Do. you really mean that?" "I do." Syaoran nodded. "Would I ever lie to you? Would a friend lie to a friend?" "No. But I guess I should add. Most of all. I've missed you." Syaoran clenched his fist. "Sakura. I can't let this happen."  
  
"Hoe?"  
  
Syaoran looked more determined than ever. "Sakura. you. or I should say the you from that other dimension told me she is alive because I saved her. Or the other me saved her. whatever. in any case. If I can find the man who killed you. I can save you all. You can still live. We can be together NOW." Sakura's eyes perked up. "You. you mean it?" He just nodded. "Oh, that's wonderful!" She leapt at him, and hugged him tight. "I can live again?" She asked, still clenching him in midair. "Yes. you can. and this time, we'll stay together. I lost you once. and I won't make the same mistake twice." Sakura gasped and dropped back. "But. that man. he. he killed me. I don't want you to get hurt. I mean. I. I'm still happy in Heaven, but. Well, I don't want you to risk your life for me." Syaoran faced the stars. "Sakura. I don't think I can wait to be with you again." Sakura blushed even worse. "You. can't.?" Syaoran smiled. "Don't worry about it. After all, the Sakura from that other world. She was saved by me from her dimension so I know we can do it." Sakura's eyes lit up. "I. can't believe it. I can be alive. and not just me. but Tomoyo, too! I really don't know what to say." Syaoran held her tight. "You don't have to say anything. this is what I want to do." Sakura's face was no longer red. She looked him in the eyes and said,  
  
"Well. What I want to say, Syaoran is. I love you."  
  
"Sakura. I love you, too."  
  
They both embraced in the light of the full moon behind them.  
  
Mia giggled to herself. "It's so romantic, isn't it?"  
  
Sakura (The one this story has been following since chapter 1, not the angel. ^^;;;;; ) turned around and gasped. She and Tomoyo had been hovering at a safe distance, watching, but they had not realized Tomoyo, Meiling, Mia, Kaho, Kero, the other Kero, Suppi, Nakuru, and Eriol were all watching, floating just above the tops of the trees (Thanks to a little help from Eriol). "HOEEEEEEEE! SINCE WHEN WERE YOU ALL HERE?!" Her face went completely red until the redness and her hair was all that covered her face.  
  
Meiling laughed, eating a few snacks. "What do you mean, 'what are you doing here?' We could ask you the same thing! In any case, we just wanted to watch! Why is that so embarrassing? No need to turn so red," she said. Eriol smiled, but had a look of complete knowingness. He knew exactly why she was blushing. "Come now, Sakura. There's no need to be embarrassed. Hearing your feelings from another source is nothing to be embarrassed about, especially when it's a confession of love."  
  
Sakura blushed even worse. Tomoyo, though, began to capitalize on the moment and pulled out her camera so she could record this. "Not only do I get to HEAR Sakura confess to her love, but I get to tape two of them at once! I feel as if I've gone to Heaven!" Of course, the Angel Tomoyo was taping her as well. She said, "No, I've been to Heaven, and this is so much better!" Both of their eyes began to sparkle brighter than the stars overhead. Everyone sweat dropped again. "I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same." said Mia. Meiling added, "And I guess even death can't change who a person is. Still, I guess this is a load off your chest, having all of your feelings let out." Sakura didn't stop turning red, despite all the 'comforting' remarks. "Well. ummm. She may be me, but she's still not. ummm. me. so." Tomoyo managed to stop gazing off into her fantasyland and tried to comfort her, "but you know, you've already said you loved Li-kun before in front of us. So why are you so shy now?"  
  
Sakura backed off, stared at the ground and twiddled her fingers, just like her angel counterpart had done, and mumbled. "Well. ummm. when . I. That is. I never. actually said it TO. him. and I momentarily. forgot you were all still there. So."  
  
Meiling yawned. "You know. It's really, really late. Maybe we should save Kinomoto the embarrassment and just go to bed."  
  
Sakura's face returned to normal and she turned back towards her house. "Wait a second. We can't. though. I'm sleepy, too. But the angels will be leaving soon." she turned to Angel Tomoyo. "Won't you?"  
  
Angel Tomoyo just pointed to the roof of the house. "I don't think we will tonight. Take a look." Everyone flew a little closer to see a great white object on the roof. Upon closer inspection, they showed Nadeshiko snuggling up with a sleeping Fujitaka, with her giant, soft, feathery wings wrapped around them. Both of them were smiling like it was their wedding day. Sakura had a tear crawl down her face. "So beautiful. Just like my father always said." She signaled for everyone to come together slowly and lift the couple gently. They carried them as carefully as could be through the air and into Fujitaka's room onto his bed.  
  
Mia yawned and stretched her arms. "Well. It's about 1am. Maybe we should go to bed now." Sakura yawned in agreement and headed for the stairs to the living room. "Hmmm? Kinomoto?" Meiling looked at her strangely. "Aren't you sleeping in your room?" She shook her head and smiled. "I have the feeling. I won't need it tonight. I saw a little something as we were carrying my father in. So, I'll just join you tonight."  
  
Everyone didn't know what she was talking about, until Meiling slowly opened Sakura's door just enough to peak through. "AH!" She shouted, but quickly covered her mouth and shut the door. "Ah. Shaoran. it's so good to see you happy."  
  
Now, everyone seemed even more confused. The group snuck over to the door, and did exactly what Meiling saw. Inside, on Sakura's bed, both the angel and Syaoran lied, arm in arm, wings around them, smiling, exactly like Fujitaka and Nadeshiko.  
  
Everyone smiled at the sight and went downstairs. Inside, Sakura's arm wrapped firmly around Syaoran and she sighed a sigh of relief and happiness.  
  
The next morning, Sakura was the first to wake (which was quite miracle in itself, but after a night like the previous night, one would find sleep difficult). She stretched her arms over her head and got up off the couch to take a bath. Eriol and Kaho sat on the opposite couch, his head in her lap as Kaho subconsciously teased with his hair. Mia and Meiling were at their feet, as were Tomoyo and her angel counterpart. Above each of their heads was a Kero, and Suppi was lying on the table. Yukito, Touya, and Nakuru (much to Touya's protest) were all in Touya's room. Yue, who did not wish to be seen, was on the roof of the house.  
  
As she sat down in the soothing tub, she glanced at the clock. It was only 6am. She had only gotten 5 hours of sleep, an all-time record for her. But after so much embarrassment and emotion, how could she sleep?  
  
ZZZZZZ.  
  
Well, Sakura fell asleep in the tub for a minute, so I guess she could. (Author's note: ::sweat drop::)  
  
Well, falling asleep and dunking her head underwater woke her up quickly and then she started to shampoo her hair as she thought. "I guess today is the day we're leaving. And it looks like I still have my older body. But that's a good thing. I don't know how I'd explain to Mr. Kinomoto. I mean my dad. how I could shrink and look exactly like his daughter. Even if I am. Hoeee. I'm confusing myself." Just then, the sound of a door shutting and three different types of footsteps came down the stairs. "Ah, onii- chan, Yukito, and Nakuru must be awake." She resumed her bathing in silence until another door was shut and only one set of footsteps was heard. "Oh, that must be dad. But. if we're leaving today. I better thank him before we have to start getting ready!" She dunked her head under the water to remove the shampoo and quickly grabbed a towel, dried off, and put on some new clothes (Tomoyo had left the bag of her clothes for teenagers in the bathroom. After all, I doubt Sakura, at her age, wanted to wear clothes for a 10 year old. ^^;;).  
  
As she headed out the bathroom door, wearing a light purple skirt and vest, she noticed her door was open to her room. She peeked in to see that Syaoran and the angel were gone. "Hoe? But I thought that the angels were staying! Tomoyo. I mean Angel Tomoyo. woke up beside me. So, where could she. I mean I. have gone?"  
  
She slowly went down the stairs and peered over the side. There, at the table, Mia sat focusing, and Angel Sakura sat beside her, focusing as well. "Hoe? What's going on here?" Angel Sakura smiled and turned her head. "Ah, you're up! Good morning!" "Hoe? What are you all doing down here? Where are Touya and Syaoran? And Yukito and Nakuru?" Eriol leaned on the table and explained, "It's a school day. They all left. Nakuru didn't have to go, but she seemed to want to hang off your brother again. Mia was just using some of yours. or should I say your angel's powers to get a good, solid fix on Koji so that we could leave later today." Sakura hung her head. "Oh. leave. right."  
  
"Is something the matter?" Tomoyo asked. "No, no. It's just. I've gotten so used to being here and helping out. I don't know if I want to leave. I know I sound crazy." Tomoyo shook her head. "It's understandable, Sakura-chan. Don't worry. But remember, we have our own family waiting. and. there was someone you promised to meet again." "SYAORAN! Oh, my God. How could I be so stupid? I was getting so used to it here that I forgot the reason why we were here! I'm so sorry!"  
  
Mia smiled. "It's okay, Sakura. You haven't forgotten, we've just been distracted, what, with a giant, phony monster running rampant, learning of your own death, and angels coming to visit." Sakura laughed nervously. "Yes, I suppose it has been a bit strange around here lately."  
  
Mia shouted, "Aha! I think I've concentrated enough power! I have a lock on Koji! With Sakura's help, I can see him clearly! We can leave anytime!"  
  
Footsteps came from the top of the stairs. "Oh. You're all leaving?" It was Fujitaka. He was already dressed and coming down slowly. The tone of his voice seemed disappointed, but the look on his face showed nothing but pleasure. "Sakura nodded. "Well, soon, anyway. We really have to get going." She turned around to see where the two angels of herself and Tomoyo were, but they had vanished. They did not want Fujitaka to see them. Fujitaka was grinning from ear to ear. "Well. Promise to come back and visit sometime, Keiko-chan?" Sakura returned the smile and nodded. "Of course! We'll always come back." Fujitaka laughed. "This is a great day, then. First, I dream of my wife coming back as an angel. along with my daughter and her friend. just t show they were happy, giving me new hope, but then I know you'll all be back." Meiling scratched her cheek and laughed nervously. "Right. what nice. ummm. dreams."  
  
An hour or so later, after breakfast, everyone had his or her items packed at the door. "Well, I hope to see you all again!" Fujitaka said to all. Sakura hugged him quickly. "Thank you so much." Eriol and the rest shook his hand. "Thank you." "Thanks for your hospitality." "It's been a pleasure." He just waved good-bye as they all set out down the road. Eriol strode along side Sakura and said, "So, where are we going to go that's wide open enough for us to transport out of here?" Sakura winked and said, "We're not leaving. yet. We have ne bit of unfinished business to take care of."  
  
The Angel forms of Sakura and Tomoyo floated overhead, as Sakura knew, and they followed them off towards the school.  
  
Yukito and Touya sat against the fence in gym class, talking quietly, when there came a tap on their shoulders from behind. On the other side of the fence was Sakura. "Oh, Keiko-chan. I didn't know you were coming here," said Touya. "No, I just stopped by to say goodbye." "You're leaving?" Yukito asked. "Don't worry, you'll see me again, soon." Yukito held his hands onto the fence. "Well, then I just hope we see each other again soon, Keiko." She bowed. "We will! Ja ne!" And she ran off.  
  
Around the corner of the school building was Nakuru. "Are you ready?" Sakura asked. She nodded. She stepped to the side to show a younger Eriol, another Nakuru, and Suppi. "Ah, you're all here from this time, right?" Sakura asked. Eriol nodded. "I've heard of your situation. We're more than willing to offer our assistance." Sakura giggled somewhat evilly. "Then, I think it's time to give Syaoran his reward for being so kind."  
  
At the end of the day, Syaoran packed up his bag and headed out the front of the school. "SYAORAN!" Sakura shouted, running to him. "I'm glad I found you!" He stared at her and asked with a tone of concern, "What's wrong?"  
  
Sakura grinned. "Nothing's wrong. It's just. I put you through so much. Well, I just wanted to help you." He titled his head and gave her a confused look. "Help? Me? How?" Sakura pointed over the fence to the back of the school. "Do you see that kid on the bench at the very end of the school?" Syaoran squinted and put a hand over his forehead to see. "Yeah. What about him? I heard he just moved here a little while ago." Sakura shook her head. "He didn't 'move' here. And it's not really a kid. It's Koji!"  
  
"WHAT?!" Syaoran screamed. All of the kids leaving the school turned suddenly and stared for a second. "Errr. it's. nothing." He said to the crowd before they slowly turned and walked away. "What do you mean its Koji? Why would he be here? How did you know?" Sakura answered, "Because Syaoran. I mean MY Syaoran. told me that he saved me by capturing Koji here, that he needed time to recharge his Mirror of Time because it was the first time he had used it for something like this. Plus, I know what he looks like and just carefully searched for him, with some help from some friends." "Friends?" Sakura pointed to the roof, where Eriol, Nakuru, and Suppi were stationed. "Mia's on the other side of the building. She was the one who locked on him. So. you said you wanted to find Koji, right? Well, here's your chance!" Syaoran smiled and bowed. "Thank you. Sakura-chan." "So, are you ready?"  
  
By this point, all of the kids had left the school, so Syaoran was safe. He grabbed the pendant that hung around his neck and summoned his sword. At the same time, he grabbed the Clow Book from his backpack and summoned the staff, which he kept in his pocket. "All right! I'm ready!" "Good," Sakura said as she pulled out her cell phone that Tomoyo had given her so long ago. "Tomoyo?" She said into it. "Give the signal."  
  
Koji sat reading a book on the bench beside the school, unaware that above him was a rather unfriendly looking Black Panther like cat. That is, until, it dropped down from above and landed beside him "YAH!" Koji screamed, falling off his bench. Out of his backpack came a bunch of weapons that scattered on the ground. He attempted to grab one, but Spinnel roared and scared him into running. He didn't go far, though, before falling over when two giant sparks hit the ground before him, as Yue and two Ruby Moons (one from each time period) hovered overhead. He staggered to his feet and ran again, only to have Tomoyo, in her angel form and the older Sakura descend from above, posed to attack. Koji backed up slowly. only to find himself backing towards Syaoran and two Keros, who held his sword straight out, poking Koji's arm. "You're surrounded, Koji. Give up," demanded the boy.  
  
A minute or two later, Syaoran had "persuaded" Koji to open another portal to the past so he could rescue his friends. But before anyone could move, the Angels of Sakura and Tomoyo appeared again, right in them idle of the group. Angel Sakura said, "I have been watching all that you have done here. and. I thank you." She and Angel Tomoyo bowed. Sakura smiled. "It's no big deal. We're just glad to have helped." Angel Sakura smiled back. "Well, I hope this helps. When I linked with Mia, not only could she lock onto Koji's location, but I could see him. and I could feel Syaoran's presence. The Syaoran from your time is alive and well. I wish you the best of luck in finding him."  
  
Sakura sighed in relief. "Thank you. I'm relieved to hear you know he's safe. But there's no time to lose! We all have places to go and friends to save!" Syaoran nodded in agreement. "Hai, you're right. We best hurry."  
  
Sakura handed Tomoyo the Clow Cards again and she opened a dimensional portal. Mia concentrated, with help from Angel Sakura, and locked the portal onto the location. "Well, goodbye, Sakura from another world." Syaoran said, facing the portal. Sakura turned back and said, "Goodbye, Syaoran, from this world. But who knows? Maybe we'll meet again. and. good luck." He smiled back. "Good luck to you, too."  
  
They all stepped through their respected portals and vanished once again.  
  
Angel Sakura smiled. "Good luck to you all."  
  
To be continued.  
  
Stay tuned for more (hopefully) soon! (And hopefully, it won't be another filler ^^;; ) 


	29. Reunion of the Heart

::Runs screaming onto the set:: HOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! ::screeches and crashes into a rack of props, knocking them over:: Ow. ow. ::stands up and pulls off Syaoran's costume that fell on him, as well as a pair of fake Inuyasha ears, and Link's cap:: Oof. ::stands up and bows repeatedly:: GOMEN! My latest chapter is late.. And rather. confusing. At least I started to skip spaces.. But. I've had so much on my mind.. Not to mention I have TWO fics to start soon: One Zelda, one Inuyasha. So, if you like that idea, feel free to e-mail (wallcrawler86@aol.com) me or post a review!  
  
And, through this, I'd like to especially thank my editor, Aerin, for doing my fic(s) while translating others, editing other fics. She's just been a big help!  
  
And I'd also like to thank Moonlit Writer, for her kind reviews and her great fic she's writing! ()  
  
Anyway, on with the 25 page chapter! I hope you like, or at least understand it.  
  
Chapter 29 The Reunion  
  
The world around Sakura began to warp and change. She floated through the portal as she did before, and she stared into the limitless bounds of possibility around her. As she hovered by, she peered into what looked like other worlds. Scenes of herself were everywhere, doing everything from talking with friends, fighting Eriol's little tricks, and even sleeping. IT looked almost as if she was in a tunnel made of water, only the walls were covered in moving, flowing pictures. "Eriol, what is all this?"  
  
The boy floated closer inside the giant time portal. "Well, your angelic half was most kind. Her boost of power not only helped us lock onto Koji better, but it helped us see more clearly. Everything you see before you is yourself in different dimensions. Mia could not establish a direct connection with Syaoran, so, instead, we're going to establish a connection with yourself from this time period."  
  
"Hoeee?" Sakura said, still staring around her. "What does that mean?"  
  
Mia sighed, floating beside her. "It's simple. I couldn't find Li-kun in here. Because he doesn't belong, and must be moving constantly, I could not find a decent place to open a portal near him. So, instead, we're going to try and meet with you. or rather, the you from this dimension."  
  
"Ah, I understand now." Sakura said. "But still. none of these dimensions seem too weird. I thought you said they're all different."  
  
Eriol sat upright, as if he were on the ground, though he was still hovering. He scratched his chin and surveyed the different scenes around him. "Aha. Take that dimension right there." Eriol pointed to a small scene, below them. In the reflection of the water-like portal was a much older Sakura, about 20, grabbing a backpack and heading out the door. Sakura examined it.  
  
"Sakura-chan! Wait for me!" In the tranquil scene, a much older Tomoyo ran up, carrying a backpack at well. "Sakura, you didn't want to leave for your first day of college without me, did you?"  
  
"Hoeee?! College? Is this supposed to be my future?" Sakura asked.  
  
Eriol shushed her, though. "Just watch."  
  
"Tomoyo-chan, you know I was just waiting at the usually spot for Syaoran. Of course I was going to wait for you! I just wanted to make sure he knew where we were." Sakura turned to face her friend, but there was something different.  
  
"Hoe? My face.? Is that.?" She stared closer at the scene to notice a large, red wound on her right cheek. "That wound! I remember that scar well. Before I went with Syaoran to get rid of Sadin, I was attacked in my basement and I was hit in the cheek by a knife. I was supposed to have that scar for the rest of my life. I cried at the thought. But then, before I left, Mia got rid of it. But.. Then why is it still there?!" Memories of that night came back to haunt her. Sakura had awoken in the middle of the night to the sound of crashing in the basement study. When she came to see, it was a demon of Sadin. Sakura beat him, but not before getting that wound to her face.  
  
Mia sighed. "Sakura. It's because these dimensions are never the same. Any one difference can set off an entirely new change in anything. For example, in this dimension, perhaps I never perfected my healing spell and could only rid you of the poison that was in you, but not the scar on the outside."  
  
Sakura thought for a moment. "Ah, I think I understand. So, this universe is the same as mine is. Errr. Will be, I mean, and the only thing is different is that the scar on my cheek never healed, right?"  
  
"Well," Eriol continued, "That 'only difference' could set into motion more and more changes that can completely change a dimension forever."  
  
"That's amazing!" Sakura responded. "One little thing can change all of that?"  
  
"Indeed. One small change can change the outcome of anything. Or even delaying a person in going or leaving someplace determines the events that take place later for him or her. Those events, in turn, present more choices with more outcomes."  
  
Kaho, flying slightly above Sakura deeper in the portal smiled and added, "Isn't it simply fascinating to look around and see what can happen, what could happen, and what could have happened?"  
  
Sakura looked around, and laughed. "Yeah, I know. I wish I could see more of it. It's very interesting." Tomoyo and the others waited for the teleportation process to finish, contenting themselves to just watching the infinite stories around them.  
  
"Hey, look, it's Sakura-chan when she was only 3!" Mia pointed out. "Awww. how adorable! She's even cuter than the little stuffed bunny she's carrying!" Tomoyo added.  
  
"Hmmm. This looks like Sakura and her brother when they've both finished college," said Meiling.  
  
Sakura looked and pointed out, "And here's me. HOEEEEEEEEE!" Everyone turned his or her head.  
  
"What's wrong?" asked Meiling.  
  
Sakura flailed her arms and backed up to cover an image. She laughed nervously. "It-it-it's nothing! Nothing at all!" She laughed again, and tried to remain calm. At this, she failed miserably. "Well ummm. maybe we best hurry up and get out of this portal! We have to save Syaoran! .Right?"  
  
She quickly hurried, and pushed everyone along further down the road to the next dimension. "H-hey!" Meiling said, being pushed along.  
  
Behind Sakura, was a vision of her, in her late 20's, holding a small baby in her arms.  
  
A great light grew in size and intensity. "We're almost there! The portal is completely locked onto Sakura's signal in this dimension, and it's pulling us in at full strength! Brace yourselves!" Mia ordered everyone to be prepared, much like a general sending her troops to battle. And, indeed, that's what they were prepared to do; fighting was very likely, if Koji was nearby. There was a growing sensation in their bodies, like they were being pulled into a vacuum, and then they vanished from the portal, into the next dimension.  
  
The wind rustled gently through the trees. School kids below laughed at one another's jokes. Couples walked hand in hand down the street below as cars drove by.  
  
Sakura looked around her and said, "Well. it LOOKS like everything is normal here. so far."  
  
Mia nodded. "Koji IS here. that's for certain. I can almost smell him. but it looks like he hasn't done much so far."  
  
Meiling was not paying attention to this, though, and was busy examining all that was around her. "Ummm. Where are we?"  
  
"Hoeee." Sakura looked over the side of what appeared to be a ledge. "We're on the roof of the school!" Sakura sighed and then asked, "Why would we appear up here?"  
  
Tomoyo answered, "Well, Mia said that we would appear very close to you in this dimension, so. if we arrived during a school day, and you are in class."  
  
The doors to the school were flung open and kids began to pour out. Sakura kneeled down and peered over the wall carefully. "I don't see anything different yet."  
  
Suddenly, a group of four friends the recognized left the school. "Wait, there they. I mean we I mean. LOOK!"  
  
Out of the school door was Sakura, Tomoyo, Meiling, and. SYAORAN?!  
  
"THERE HE IS!" Sakura yelled. "Syaoran! Syaoran, over here!" Sakura became over excited quickly and hollered out to her friend. The boy in the distance turned, but Meiling quickly grabbed Sakura and pulled her out of view.  
  
"Is something wrong, Li-kun?" Tomoyo asked.  
  
He turned and shook his head. "I just. thought I heard someone calling me."  
  
"Kinomoto," Meiling asked, "What were you doing?"  
  
"Calling out to. Syaoran? I thought." Sakura said in a diminishing voice, realizing her mistake.  
  
Meiling shook her head. "Kinomoto, the LAST time you called out to Shaoran, it wasn't him, just a version of him from another dimension, remember?"  
  
Sakura laughed, trying to cover her embarrassment. "I guess I forgot. Well, then what do we do, instead?"  
  
"Simple. We follow them," Eriol said. "If Koji transported Syaoran here, then he will try to stay close to Sakura here. I doubt he'd run off very far. Let's just wait and see what we can learn, and see if Koji has had any effect on everyone here. In fact, let's take some patrols. Spinnel, Kereberos," Eriol commanded. "I want the two of you to fly over the town and keep a watchful eye on the town."  
  
Kero and Spinnel nodded. "Right away, master," replied Spinnel, bowing before he took off into the air.  
  
"Ruby Moon," he said, pointing to the genderless guardian and other form of Nakuru, "Inspect the streets, but don't act conspicuous. We don't want to draw any attention to ourselves."  
  
"Right," she said, before heading off towards the road. As she walked, a bright wind surrounded her and when it vanished, she was back in her school clothes.  
  
"Yue," he said, getting to the last guardian. "You will follow Sakura everywhere. Koji could be anywhere, so we can't rest for a moment."  
  
Yue bowed. "I will, Clow. but what do you intend to do?"  
  
Eriol answered calmly, "Do not worry about me. I have my own plans. But I will need the assistance of Mia and Kaho."  
  
Sakura peered around the corner, seeing that the group had already left the school grounds for home. It was a warm spring day, and the sun was shining, so there was no chance they were just out of distance to see. She looked back at Tomoyo, still leaning around the corner. "I suppose that means it's just you, Yue, Meiling, and I."  
  
"That is correct," Eriol said as he adjusted his glasses. "If you need us. don't worry, we'll be watching over you. I just have a few things to research before we do anything more."  
  
"Research? Research what?" Tomoyo asked.  
  
"You'll see," Eriol responded. "But. won't you want to follow your group before they escape from our detection?"  
  
Sakura turned around and remembered that it was their job to find Syaoran. "HOEEE! You're right! Well, good-bye then!" Sakura, Tomoyo, and Meiling all ran off towards where they last saw the group.  
  
Eriol just smiled, watching the young Mistress run off. "Ganbatte, Sakura."  
  
Tomoyo huffed as she ran alongside the other two girls down the street. "Do you see any sign of them?" she asked.  
  
"No, not yet." Meiling said.  
  
"Well, it's not a problem. After all, they'll. or is it we'll. probably end up going to my house soon, assuming that's not where they're already heading," said Sakura, analyzing the situation.  
  
They rounded the next corner, when Meiling stopped and stared. Moments later, the other two came to a halt and looked back. "Why have you stopped?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Look!" Meiling pointed towards an object flying in the air. "Is. that. Syaoran?! Flying over the park?!"  
  
Sakura and Tomoyo's jaws dropped. "Oh my, it is Li-kun!" said Tomoyo in astonishment.  
  
Sakura gasped and started to run ahead. "Look! All the people in the area are asleep, all over the ground! What's going on here? It looks like one of the times I tried to capture a Clow Card! I would always cast Sleep to make sure no one could get hurt or see me."  
  
"But if that is the case, why is Li-kun flying?" Tomoyo asked.  
  
Meiling grabbed them both by the shirts and pulled them behind some bushes. "Well, whatever it is, we shouldn't reveal ourselves! Let's just watch." Sakura just stared at Meiling with a sweat drop. "What are you looking at?"  
  
Sakura replied, "It's just strange to see you give up an opportunity to fight!"  
  
Suddenly, a dark figure flew by into a wall to their sides. It appeared to be a man in a dark black tuxedo and his hair was slicked back with gel. Then, another Meiling, from that time, began to lunge at it and fight. "Hoeee. never mind." Sakura retracted her statement.  
  
Suddenly, their jaws dropped once again when they saw none other than Tomoyo, obviously not the one they knew, drop down from above and start attacking as well with martial arts. Sakura, losing her senses, turned to the Tomoyo sitting beside her and asked, "Since when do you know martial arts?!"  
  
Tomoyo shook her head, still staring through the bushes. "I don't know any! Even if I did, I couldn't hurt someone! I'd feel terrible about it."  
  
Meiling just watched as this new Tomoyo leaped into the air and delivered a kick to this man's face, though it was blocked. "Well, apparently, you do know some and don't mind fighting here!"  
  
In the match just outside the bushes where the group lies in wait, Meiling kicked her foe straightforward, towards where Sakura was standing holding a. sword?! "Kinomoto, that sword you're holding. that's not the one that you summon with the cards, right?"  
  
Sakura shook her head. She stared more closely, analyzing it. The patterns on the side did look familiar to her, though. "That looks more like. Syaoran's sword!"  
  
Meiling took a closer look at the boy flying overhead, and noted, "and what exactly is Syaoran WEARING? That looks like something Daidouji would make."  
  
Upon closer inspection, they could see Syaoran wore a long yellow cape with the shape of the star in Sakura's staff cut out of the back. His hat was very similar to his usual hat in shape, only it was a bright yellow and the top was shaped like a sun. He wore similarly colored boots, gloves, pants, and a vest.  
  
Tomoyo looked stunned. "That's not only something I would make, it's something I've already made! I was going to give it to Sakura for her next battle. How did Li-kun get it?"  
  
In the midst of the battle, Sakura pulled a piece of paper from her pocket, like a charm Syaoran uses, and put it against her blade. "LIGHTNING!" A violent bolt of electricity struck through the air with blinding speed, twisting and turning, until it shocked and felled the villain to the dirt. Syaoran pulled what appeared to be a Clow Card from his pocket and began to chant. The group in the bush tried to hear what he was saying, but he was too far away. He then threw the card in front of him and struck it with his sword. It gave off a strange, green aura.  
  
"Hold on, if Li-kun has Clow Cards, this must be a time before the Final Judgment, right?" asked Tomoyo.  
  
Sakura nodded. "Yes.. But that card.." As Sakura spoke, the mighty Earthy Card rose from the ground. "It looked like Syaoran-kun changed the card."  
  
"Shhh! Watch!" Meiling tried to quiet them down. In the battle, the demon saw the mighty Earthy and started to flee. But the worm-like card stood at its fullest and collapsed upon him with an earth-shattering slam. When the spirit returned to the card, the poor fool underneath was not there. Only bits of dust, his remains, blew away in the wind.  
  
Sakura turned back to Meiling and Tomoyo and said, "Did you see that? The way he vanished.. The way he was dressed. That had to be a demon, like the ones Koji has recreated!" Sakura remembered back to when she was at the Li clan house with Aerin. It had been overrun with demons, running everywhere. The same type of demon as had always attacked and tried to stop her every step of the way. Every time one was defeated, it always vanished in the wind as if it were made of sand, as these demons were not even alive. They were merely hollow shells, puppets being used by Koji and, earlier, Sadin.  
  
"If demons are here, then Koji is definitely here!" Sakura said.  
  
"Who's there?!" Syaoran, overhearing Sakura, shouted.  
  
Sakura, Tomoyo, and Meiling covered their mouths. "Oh no! We're caught! What can we do?" Tomoyo whispered.  
  
Sakura whispered back, "Maybe if we're real quiet, he'll-"  
  
Suddenly, the three of them found vines growing from the bush, wrapping around them. Their ankles, legs, arms, and chests were all being squeezed tight. The vines lifted the three girls upside down in the air. An angry looking Syaoran held the Woody Card in front of him.  
  
"Okay, maybe that won't work." Sakura said.  
  
A few minutes later.  
  
"Wait a second, you mean to tell us that you are us, and the other way around?" said the Sakura from this odd world.  
  
They sat on the bridge over the stream in the park, their legs dangling over the side, touching the surface of the water. "Well, sort of." the 'real' Sakura said. "It's just. that a few things seem to be a little different."  
  
The Sakura of this dimension stared at her sword for a second, inspecting for any damage from the battle. "Well, uh, for instance, I don't have a sword." said the older, and more 'normal' Sakura said.  
  
"Huh?" The other Sakura responded. "Then what do you fight with? A spear?"  
  
That's when Sakura in response to the question stood back and grasped the key around her neck.  
  
"O, Key that holds the Power of the Stars. Reveal your true form to me! RELEASE!"  
  
Sakura swung her staff around a few times and threw a card up. "FLY!" She sat on her staff and hovered there. "Well, in my world, I'm the Mistress of the Clow, but I've changed all the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards.  
  
Syaoran, or rather the strange boy from this world, looked stunned. "How is that possible?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a green card. He then grabbed something around his neck.  
  
"O, Key that holds the Power of the Stars. Reveal your true form to me! RELEASE! FLY!"  
  
Syaoran floated on a staff very much like Sakura's, only green. "I was the one who captured the Clow Cards. and I'm trying to turn them all into Saran Cards right now."  
  
Sakura and her group froze in silence for a moment. "Did. did you say 'Saran?'"  
  
He nodded. "I was a little confused when you said 'Sakura.' I don't know anyone by that name. Why don't you just name them after yourself, Sykura? Sakura sounds like such an odd name."  
  
Sakura sat silent for a moment, before her brain could formulate a response. "Well, for one thing, my name IS 'Sakura,' not 'Sykura.'"  
  
"Hoeee?" Syaoran-I mean, uh, Saran responded with Sakura's usual wording. "How is that possible? When we pulled you out of the bush, I thought you said you WERE us, exactly, just from a different world. But then again, you're also somewhat older. How did that happen?"  
  
Meiling answered in Sakura's place. "Well, it's a long story, but all that really matters is that our worlds are supposed to be SIMILAR, but some differences need to exist, so. so."  
  
Meiling turned towards Tomoyo, whose cheeks were slightly red as she stared at Saran. "Daidouji, are you okay?"  
  
However, both of the two Tomoyos answered at once, though with varying attitudes.  
  
"Y-yes, I'm fine." said the older and meeker Tomoyo.  
  
"What do you mean, am I okay? Of course I am! Didn't you see me in that battle? I just hope that more of those guys come back so I can fight some more!" That was the reply of the slightly more aggressive Tomoyo of this new world. Sakura's group seemed a bit frightened at this less than pacifistic mind-set, especially the kinder of the two Tomoyos who couldn't believe what she was saying.  
  
Sakura turned to the Meiling of the new world and said, "Well, I saw you fight. I guess you still have a lot in common with our Meiling, right? After all, only our Meiling could fight like that and would jump into a battle so willingly."  
  
That Meiling held up the broken shards of an electronic device. "Actually, my name is Lingmei. And I generally hate to fight, but you see, that person, though I'm sure he was well intentioned in some manner, broke my camera as I was taping my wonderful Sykura. and I lost my temper."  
  
Sakura, Tomoyo, and Meiling all face faulted to the ground. "This is going from odd to just plain insane." thought Meiling.  
  
Lingmei's eyes sparkled brightly as she thought. "Oh, my wonderful new outfit I made just for my Saran. Such inspiration from the sun, so perfect for the bright, lovingness of my Saran. I wanted it on video to cherish, but lost it."  
  
Saran's face reddened. "Lingmei. uhhh." He leaned over to Sakura and whispered, "Don't worry, she's a little strange, but she's actually very nice. I'm just not sure why she goes on like this."  
  
Sakura laughed nervously, but whispered back "Actually, don't worry about it. I know what you mean, perfectly."  
  
Saran laughed and said, "Well, I guess it has been a very strange day. What with that strange man attacking us and now finding you all here, when we're so different but still the same people. I think. But thanks to Sykura, anyway, we're okay, so we got to meet you, which has been fun!"  
  
Sykura blushed. "M-me? I didn't do anything."  
  
Saran smiled as he held her hand. "Well, if you hadn't held him back with that lightning, I probably wouldn't have been able to hit him so easily with Earthy. so. thank you."  
  
That's when Sykura's face lit up, completely red. "I. err. uhhh. well."  
  
Saran, of course, did not notice her embarrassment and went back to cheerfully talking to Sakura. Sykura, though, returned to being silent. Just looking at Saran made her far too embarrassed to say a word. Tomoyo noticed this look on Sykura's face, and then turning to Saran, started to feel very confused. "What's. going on? I feel so. strange. something is most certainly wrong."  
  
Sakura turned to her friend and asked, "Tomoyo, you've been acting uncomfortable since we got here. What's wrong?"  
  
Tomoyo stared at the ground. "Ummm. nothing. I'm just a little confused and dazed. Maybe it's just an effect from traveling through dimensions too quickly. Would you mind if I went to lie down for a minute?"  
  
Everyone nodded his or her head. "Don't worry about it, Tomoyo. Just go rest," Sakura said.  
  
The other Tomoyo, from the new world, added, "Though, I should point out, people just call me 'Tomo' for short, so if you want to call me, don't call me Tomoyo." The group didn't seem to react too badly to this change, though. It would seem they were getting used to the weirdness of this new dimension.  
  
Sakura stood up with Tomoyo and said, "You know, maybe I better just go with Tomoyo to make sure she's okay."  
  
Saran said, "That's fine. But. how about you come to stay at my house later? You don't have a place to stay at right now, do you?"  
  
Meiling shook her head. "Not yet."  
  
Saran smiled. "Then you WILL have to stay at my place! It's just an apartment with my servant, but it should be enough."  
  
Sakura sighed with relief. "At least it seems our houses are in the same place."  
  
She turned to him and said, "Okay, we will! We'll drop by your house later. as soon as Tomoyo is rested. and I find someone. Until then, ja ne."  
  
"Wait!" Saran said. "Do you know where my house is?"  
  
Sakura nodded. "Don't worry, it seems the locations of our houses hasn't changed, so I'm sure we could find it. If not, I can feel your presence magically, so I'll find you again."  
  
Saran smiled, much to Tomoyo's discomfort. Her cheeks were as red as could be. "Well, then see you later!" Saran said.  
  
"Ja ne!" replied Sakura.  
  
"G-good-bye." Tomoyo mumbled.  
  
As Sakura, Tomoyo, and Meiling were walking away, Saran ran back and asked, " Excuse me, but I forgot to ask something. Where am I, your Saran, from your time?"  
  
Sakura stopped dead in her tracks. "Well. we've always called him Syaoran. But where he is. He is the reason we're here. All we know was he was lost from our world and ended up here. and I'm not going to stop looking for him."  
  
Saran sat silent for a moment before responding, "Gomen. I didn't know. But. I'm going to help! As soon as I can, I'll help you look for him! If you need any help at all, don't be afraid to ask, because I'll do all I can."  
  
Sakura smiled back. "Arigatou." Then they set off.  
  
Just outside of the park, Tomoyo lied down on a bench and breathed calmly. Sakura saw Yue waiting patiently on the roof of a nearby building. Meiling sat up against the wall beside the bench. "That was just too strange," Meiling said.  
  
"I know what you mean. I mean, how could he be the Master of the Clow? I thought I caught the cards, so how is it possible? And how could they be so different?"  
  
Tomoyo held a hand to her forehead to check for a fever. "I don't know. but I don't feel so well. I don't know why. It's just, I could tell it was as if you, by which I mean Sykura, and Syaoran. I mean Saran. just switched personalities. I could tell. Oh dear. I'm confusing myself. What I mean is, Sykura seems to act a lot like our Li-kun, and Saran seems to act an awful lot like you."  
  
Meiling turned her head and asked, "Was that why you couldn't take your eyes off him? You looked very confused."  
  
Tomoyo sighed. "It's hard to explain." she started, tilting her head to one side and closing her eyes. "But, well, I don't know. You see. Li-kun. if that's still his name. I can't even figure it out. He just feels. different. but his personality is so familiar. It's just like Sakura's, yet he is not her, so I don't know how to act."  
  
Meiling nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean. Everyone here seems to familiar. yet they're not them. it's as if their personalities, names, interests, and everything else were just switched and mixed up. I'm not sure I want to know what else is different."  
  
"Yeah," Sakura responded with a sigh, "I know what you mean. I think I just want to find Syaoran, our Syaoran, and just get out if here as soon as we seal Koji's power."  
  
"I agree, that's a good idea. Now, maybe we better wait for Eriol. Maybe he can tell us why this world is so strange," said Meiling.  
  
Tomoyo sat up. "We last saw him at the race track behind the school, so we should probably wait for him there."  
  
"Okay, then that's what we'll do," Sakura ordered. "We'll wait for him there."  
  
Behind the school, Meiling and Sakura paced impatiently while Tomoyo worked on adjusting her camera on a bench.  
  
"What could that boy be doing, anyway?" Meiling asked.  
  
"Hoeee. I'm not sure, but I hope he gets here soon. I need to know what's going on. All the gears in my mind are turning, but they're not getting anything done. I think I'm getting a headache from it all."  
  
"Well, Eriol said he would be watching us somehow, so he should be here soon." Tomoyo added.  
  
Meiling looked down at the ground and noticed they were on the starting point for the track. "Hmm. how about to pass the time, you and I have a race? First one around the track wins? Even if you're in your older body, I can still win!"  
  
"That sounds fun!" answered Sakura with cheer.  
  
Tomoyo picked up her camera and started to tape the two of them. "All right, I'll do the countdown for you two!" Sakura and Meiling got into their starting positions.  
  
"On your mark. get set."  
  
"Do you know how the first race was started?" Chiharu suddenly popped up out of nowhere.  
  
"HOEEEE!"  
  
Sakura was surprised and fell over on Meiling. "Kinomoto, get off me! No fair!"  
  
They both noticed then, Chiharu was standing with her eyes closed, one finger pointing up in the air, like her friend Takashi Yamazaki. "Well, the first races were never about running. You see, running in the old days was forbidden."  
  
By this point, Sakura and Meiling had gotten up and Sakura, at least, was engrossed by Chiharu's story. "Hoeee? How could running be forbidden?"  
  
Chiharu continued. "Well, you see, back then, in the days of ancient civilizations, shoes had not been invented yet, so if people moved too fast, his or her feet or whole legs could have been pulled off if they hit something."  
  
Meiling leaned over to Tomoyo. "This is a lie, just like that Yamazaki kid always tells, isn't it?"  
  
Tomoyo nodded and smiled, still filming Sakura. Meiling glared at Sakura. Sakura was unaware of how obvious this was a lie and paid full attention.  
  
"And Sakura is believing every word, isn't she?" Tomoyo nodded again.  
  
"Hoeee?! Your legs could fall off? But then what did you do?"  
  
Chiharu continued.  
  
"Well, if you legs fall off, people invented the stilts for that, but I'll get to that in a minute. You see, people weren't allowed to run, but people wanted to race, anyway. So, instead, they just tried to find out who could walk the fastest."  
  
"Hoeee? But wouldn't that be hard?" asked Sakura, naively.  
  
"Yes, yes it was. Most races ended in ties. Until one day, during a race, a man stepped in some mud while racing and then stepped on a piece of bark by mistake. Thus, he created the first shoe!"  
  
"Amazing!" said Sakura.  
  
"That's not all. With these new shoes, people were able to actually run in races, thus starting the first running races. However, the shoes were hard to make and sometimes the materials were hard to find, so during races, people often had to stop and pass them to the next person who was going to run. Eventually, the people got so good they could take these shoes off and pass them while still running, starting the very first relay races!"  
  
"I never knew that!" Exclaimed the gullible one.  
  
Just then, a great cloud of dust rose from the air in the distance and a lone figure came charging at a great speed. In a matter of seconds, Yamazaki, with his eyes wide open and an angry glare in them, was standing over Chiharu. He brought his hands around her neck and started yelling, "WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT LYING?!"  
  
Chiharu didn't seem to mind, though. "Well, relay races also quickly became a mode of communication through the times when."  
  
Chiharu continued as Yamazaki dragged her off. "Hai, hai, we know, we know." Yamazaki replied, sighing deeply.  
  
"And people ran from village to village in these shoes to spread messages of."  
  
"Hai, hai."  
  
As soon as they were out of the distance, a sweat drop rolled down Sakura's head. "Hoe? It was a lie? .Hey, and isn't that what Yamazaki is supposed to do?"  
  
Meiling nodded. "So you finally noticed. Well, anyway, doesn't look like we have anything better to do than just wait for Eriol to arrive."  
  
Sakura sat down on the bench beside Tomoyo and sighed. "Well, I hope he comes soon. eh?" She quickly stood up. "Look over there!" A lone figure was flying through the sky towards them.  
  
"Eh? But if that's Eriol, where's Mia? And Kaho? And everybody else? And since when could he just fly without wings or his staff?" asked Tomoyo.  
  
Sakura stopped to think. "That's. true. but who else."  
  
"Sakura, RUN! Get out of there! I'm on my way!" Eriol's voice rang through Sakura's mind. "I'm using Mia's help to communicate. You're in grave danger! Get out of there, NOW! It's Koji!"  
  
"KOJI!" Sakura screamed.  
  
Tomoyo jumped to her feet. "It's him? Come on! Let's hide!"  
  
Meiling nodded. "For once, I agree!" They all turned and made for the gym doors of the school when, instantaneously, Koji appeared before them, faster than any of them could blink.  
  
"It's been quite a while, miss Kinomoto," said the demon with an ice-cold stare. Not even replying, the three girls turned, stumbling a little, and then ran. But again, Koji appeared right before them. "There's no where to run, girls. I can be anywhere." he vanished again and appeared behind them, his sword drawn, "and everywhere at once."  
  
Sakura trembled. "How. how is this possible? What do you want?"  
  
He smiled. "How can I do all that I do? It's so simple. I have learned to manipulate time and space itself. In essence, I AM its master. I can put myself anywhere I wish to instantly, should I desire. But as to why? What is it I desire? Complete power. I want everything. And with these powers. these abilities, I have that. But there still is a threat. There are still those of you who shall oppose me. That is who I must eliminate. and the best way to do that, is to eliminate your very source of power, Clow Reed. If Reed dies. none of your powers will ever have existed."  
  
Sakura gripped the key around her neck firmly, ready to stand her ground. "Well, we won't let you do that."  
  
Meiling got back into her fighting stance. "You hurt Shaoran, and for that, I will defeat you."  
  
Tomoyo put her camera down and clenched her jeweled necklace. "I do not wish to fight, but if you're going to hurt my friends, I will have to stop you."  
  
Koji laughed and a look over overconfidence came through his eyes. "I don't think you understand." In an instant, he stood behind Sakura, holding her head within his hands.  
  
"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo cried out. Sakura tried to wrestle Koji's hands off, but he was far too strong for her to even budge him. No one dared move closer. Koji slowly drew his mirror of time and held it right in Sakura's face. She saw her own matured reflection in it, but something was not right. Her eyes. her emerald green eyes, always so filled with kindness and cheer were. empty. Sakura felt the very life from her body beginning to drain. The world around her fell dark. She could not see anything but black. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, but she could not. But she heard one strange thing. The sound of a metal sword being unsheathed. The pounding of footsteps. The slamming of steel against concrete. Then she lost consciousness.  
  
When she came to, Sakura's vision was blurred. "Uhhh. where am I?"  
  
"Shhh. don't move. That was a pretty close call." The voice was that of Eriol's, and when he vision slowly returned, she could see his face above her.  
  
"What. do you mean? A close call? What nearly happened? Did you save me?" inquired Sakura.  
  
Eriol shook his head. "No, I didn't save you. but he did." Eriol pointed to his left and Sakura turned to see a face smiling back at her.  
  
"It's been quite a while, Sakura."  
  
Sakura's cheeks reddened in an instant and her eyes began to water.  
  
"S-S-SYAORAN!"  
  
To be continued. 


	30. Let Me Be with You

::A spotlight opens over my head:: Aheheheheh. Well, hello there. I see you're back. I realize it has. been quite some time since I last updated, huh? Errr. I can assure you, though, it was not intentional. With the end  
of school, finals to study for, I had no time in June or July to do any actual writing. Then came the end of June and July. and. my faithful and wonderful editor had a bit of an accident. and, well, she was quite busy, let's just say. She's been extremely strong and kind, still, but has much work to be done, which leaves very little time for editing fan fictions. Instead of breathing down her already stressed out neck, making her read  
more pages out of the million or three she has to, I'm updating now, unedited. There may be a few typos and plot holes, but I will fix them if  
you point them out to me. I'm terribly, terribly sorry. Also with  
vacations, school projects, insane brothers, therapy sessions, panic streaks, funerals, and, yes, even love, my life has been a bit hectic. I  
PROMISE that the next chapter will be out SOON to make up for it. Also,  
note, that I have started work on another fiction! If you're a fan of  
Inuyasha, look for "Nekoyasha," which I will be uploading today.  
  
Also, I had some errors in uploading this chapter, so sometimes, not all of  
it would load. I apologize for any inconvenience.  
  
::Camera zooms out, showing he is tied to his chair by the computer:: So,  
uhhh, could someone untie me now? Please?  
  
Chapter 30  
Let Me Be with You  
  
(Author's note: Yes, a reference to a certain other CLAMP title)  
  
Ignoring her weariness, Sakura leapt from her seated position in Eriol's lap and tackled Syaoran to the ground with a hug.  
  
"Oh, thank God. Syaoran, I was so scared. I was afraid I wouldn't get to see you again." Tears began to pour from her eyes faster than raindrops.  
  
The boy's face turned bright red. "I. It's okay, Sakura. I'm fine. I'm g- glad to see you, too. I was scared, as well."  
  
Sakura let go and stood up. Her face turned red as well. "Oops. I'm sorry.I got too emotional there. I was just so happy. I."  
  
Syaoran chuckled. "It's okay. I was really surprised to find you hear. I thought I was lost forever." He stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes. Sakura got the chance then, to see how he looked.  
  
"Oh. S-Syaoran. I. errr. I see you grew, too." Sakura said, switching back and forth between staring at the ground beneath her and his deep, brown eyes in front of her.  
  
Syaoran stood, tall, lean, and strong. After the effects of Koji's spell, he was at least eighteen, if not nineteen, years of age. His hair was no longer or shorter than usual, but it was even messier than normal (if such a thing was possible). He was wearing only a white robe, common in earlier ages of Japan, and a pair of sandals.  
  
"You.. Ummm. look great. uh. yeah.." Sakura said, he voice diminishing with each utterance.  
  
Syaoran rubbed the back of his head and stared at the ground, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Well, uh, I find that hard to believe. I've mostly been running around outside this whole time. This robe I even had to borrow from the school's costume rack. But you.. You look really." He stared down at her, as she was about a quarter to an eighth to a quarter of a meter shorter than he was. But whether she was a little shorter, or 2 meters taller, Syaoran still saw the same emerald eyes. "You look. mature, too."  
  
The lens of a video camera poked out of the bushes and two pairs of eyes gazed around it.  
  
"This is pathetic." Meiling said. "Daidouji, we both know they care for each other, and they've even seen each other like this before, but they STILL get butterflies in their stomachs every time they even LOOK at each other."  
  
Tomoyo sighed and shook her head. "I agree. Sakura's carefree attitude and her sensitivity in matters of the heart are some of her cutest and most wonderful qualities. but they do make helping her get into a true relationship rather difficult."  
  
"And that's why I'm going to help, as well."  
  
"AIEEE!" Both girls gave a quiet shriek as Eriol came up from behind them.  
  
"Shhh!" Eriol said, grabbing and dragging them both out of view. I'm here to help!"  
  
Meiling held a hand over her heart and breathed calmly. "Don't DO that! Now. WHAT are you trying to say?" She turned her head quickly, before Eriol could answer, and saw Sakura and Syaoran, still stuttering to find the words they want to say.  
  
"I'm telling you, I'm going to help you to get Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun together," Eriol stated clearly.  
  
Meiling eyed him suspiciously. "What's the catch? It's rather unlike YOU to be offering so much help at something like this."  
  
Eriol smiled. "Well, normally, you're right. I wouldn't meddle in such minor affairs. but."  
  
"But.?" Meiling urged him on.  
  
"But I've done some research.. And if we're going to beat Koji, we need all the power we need. And I've always seen Sakura and Syaoran fighting their hardest when the other is involved and in danger."  
  
Tomoyo focused her camera on Sakura with one hand, but turned and said, "So, you think if we can get them together forever, we'll stand more of a chance in case of an emergency."  
  
Eriol nodded. "Exactly. So, what do you say, may I help? I've already sent Yue over to help protect Mia, so he won't be in the way, and now Sakura will also need someone like me to guard her, anyway."  
  
Meiling and Tomoyo looked at each other, nodded, then looked back at Eriol. "Eriol-kun," Tomoyo began, "we'd be honored to have you help us." Eriol and Tomoyo shook hands, both giving off a plotting, sneaky smile. "After all, sometimes even true love needs a little push to get started." At this, Meiling began to laugh.  
  
A moment later, the three of them emerged from the bush and watched Sakura and Syaoran closely.  
  
"Err, so tell me, Syaoran. What.. Ummm. How exactly did you get here? I mean, what did you do AFTER you got sent here."  
  
Meiling sighed. "This is going nowhere. what should we do first?"  
  
"Uhhh. Sakura, well, I. I ended up in the same park here and I. huh?" Syaoran noticed a small objects blowing in the wind towards him. As it rose up in a gust, he grabbed it. "My hat?"  
  
Sakura clapped her hands together once. "Oh, that's right! After the battle, I had saved it, and I was promising to give it back!"  
  
"Huh? You mean you kept this thing? You didn't really have to."  
  
Sakura smiled. "But I wanted to keep it, still. When I found it."  
  
"Why is that?" Syaoran asked, with a look of complete clueless look.  
  
"Well," Sakura replied, "Because it reminded me of you, and what a good friend you always were. no, the wonderful friend you still ARE." Syaoran stepped over and placed the hat on her head. "Hoe?" Sakura muttered in confusion.  
  
"You can keep it, Sakura. And, thank you for caring," he said smiling.  
  
Meiling threw an arm in the air. "Yes! Plan one is working."  
  
Tomoyo giggled in her usual way, still filming the happy pair. "Well, I remember when Li-kun disappeared, the first thing Sakura did was grab his hat. So, with Eriol providing the wind." She turned and nodded to Eriol, still holding the staff that created the wind, "I could blow this over to them, and remind them of that moment."  
  
Sakura started to smile even more, but seemed a bit worried to ask. "Syaoran, can I ask you something?" The boy nodded, remaining silent. "That moment you left. when you were pulled here. I. I heard you. tell me something. I. Did you mean it when you told me that you l-"  
  
"OY! SAKURA!" Sakura flew down to the ground and hovered in her face.  
  
Meiling growled and a giant vein burst on her forehead. "GRAH! DAMN THAT STUFFED ANIMAL!"  
  
Tomoyo sighed. "And we were so close, too."  
  
"Sakura, what the hell is goin' on here?!" Kero asked. "Suppi and I were just flyin' around town and everything's messed up!"  
  
Sakura nodded. "Well, I did notice a few things were different, but. nothing that extreme. What did you see?"  
  
Kero waved his arm, signaling all to follow him. "Well, what I saw definitely qualifies as extreme. Take a look! Follow me!"  
  
Deciding perhaps, for once, Kero had a legitimate reason for spoiling a mood, everyone, Sakura, Syaoran, Tomoyo, Meiling, and Eriol, ran behind him down the street.  
  
Tomoyo ran alongside Kero. "Ummm. Kero-chan, if I'm not being too hasty, where are we going?"  
  
Kero looked to her, flying as fast as he could on his tiny wings, and said, "To your house!"  
  
"Huh? What business could be going on at my house?" she asked.  
  
Kero shook his head. "You'll see. I just have the feeling Koji's been around here." He turned around a road corner and the group ran through a crowd of people hanging outside at the stores in town. Not wanting to be seen, Kero flew inside Tomoyo's hair.  
  
After they made their way through the crowds, they were back on an empty road. Kero popped out of Tomoyo's hair and listened to Sakura say, "Koji WAS around here. He attacked Tomoyo, Meiling, and me. And if it weren't for Syaoran."  
  
Kero cursed aloud. "K'so. This isn't good. What happened anyway?"  
  
Sakura laughed as she ran "Well... err. I.. Heh. heh. I guess I forgot to ask."  
  
A sweat drop ran down Kero's head. "You're life was in jeopardy and as soon as you're safe again, you forget to ask what happened? Oy."  
  
Syaoran started to explain. "Well, let's see. I was wandering around the school like I've every night after school because it's always deserted, so no one can find me. As I came around the corner, I spotted Meiling first, and thought she must have been here practicing. Since her age wasn't changed much, if at all, I thought she was the same girl as from this dimensions. Then I saw Tomoyo, backing up in fear. She cried out 'Sakura!' and that's when I saw Koji. He had his mirror to her face, and something. something was coming out of Sakura's eyes. like. I'm not sure. It just looked like she was becoming lifeless. So, I jumped in and attacked Koji but he got away. That's when Eriol showed up and Sakura woke up a little while later."  
  
Kero shook his head. "Oh, man, this is bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, BAD! .Eh? And do you guys sense that, too?"  
  
Sakura screeched to a halt. "Wait, I do sense something, Kero!" Everyone else stopped as well. "Wait right here." Tomoyo was about to speak, but Sakura shushed her. "Shhh. don't say anything." She whispered. She pressed her back against the wall beside a street corner and leaned. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a few men, searching the next street. They were all dressed in black suits, and they all seemed to be carrying swords.  
  
"HOEEE!" The men all turned as sakura screamed in surprise. She ducked behind the corner once more.  
  
"Who's there?" A man cried out. "You, go check it out! We mustn't let anyone catch onto us!"  
  
Sakura ran back to her group. "Everyone! It's Koji's henchmen! Hide!"  
  
"What?!" Syaoran exclaimed. "Shoot, everyone, into the bushes on the other side of the road!"  
  
The entire group ran across the empty street and leapt into a mound of short, deep green bushes. They all stared closely through the web of branches and leaves. They saw one of the men, ready to draw his sword, come down the road they were just on.  
  
"Hey, what's going on?" asked Meiling. "I can't see anything from back here!"  
  
"SHHH!" Syaoran whispered. "Quiet, or he'll hear you!"  
  
Meiling still moved around in a fuss, though. "I want to see, though. If I can just get a little. OW!" Meiling pulled her hand back and immediately put it in her mouth. "I pricked my finger," she whispered.  
  
"Who's there?!" asked the guard, as he approached. Everyone leaned in close to the bush, trying to remain out of sight. Hearts raced faster. If he found out they were there and alerted the others, there was no way they could escape. "I said, who's there?" He stepped closer until he was just above the bush. Sakura gulped in fear. The demon henchman stepped over to the bush and slowly leaned over it to see over the other side. "OOF!"  
  
In one quick movement, the demon was flipped over the bush by a pair of hands from behind it and he let out a loud grunt when he hit the ground.  
  
"Hey, Leo, you okay back there? What was that noise?" Another demon rounded the corner a minute later. "Leo? Hey, Leo, where are you? Where'd ya' go?"  
  
Leo stood up from behind the bushes and replied, "Uhhh, sorry about that. I guess all I heard was a cat back here. I didn't find anything."  
  
The second guard replied, "You're working too hard, Leo. You can't investigate every little sound you hear. I mean, this town ain't even deserted, yet."  
  
Leo sighed. "I guess you're right. Tell you what, I think I'll just lie back here for a while and take a nap, all right? Maybe that will calm my nerves."  
  
The guard smiled back. "Good idea. I'll catch you later, then." He returned to his search on the next street.  
  
Syaoran threw off his sunglasses. "That was too close." he whispered to himself, wiping a flood of sweat off his forehead. "I can't believe that worked."  
  
Eriol smiled. "Well, it did work, so there's no need to worry."  
  
Syaoran glared back and replied, "Well, next time you intend to kidnap someone and force me to dress like him, can you give me some more warning? Anyway." He turned to Sakura. "How is he?"  
  
Sakura turned around and replied, with a look of fright and guilt on her face, "Well, he's not injured. But I feel so guilty about taking a hostage! Maybe if we just let the demon go. And the ropes and gag look so tight on him. Can't I loosen them a little?"  
  
Eriol sighed. "Sakura, this is war. If we go easy on these beasts, we're going to lose. Don't worry. Besides, remember, these things aren't even living."  
  
Sakura sighed and hung her head. She could tell there was no use arguing. "Yeah, I guess you're right."  
  
Meiling took her finger out of her mouth once the bleeding stopped. "But I just had a thought. Hey, plush toy!"  
  
Kero snarled at this remark. "The name's Keroberos!"  
  
Meiling ignored this remark and continued, though. "If we want to get to what you were talking about, at Daidouji's house, won't we have to go down these roads that are blocked off by Koji's goons?"  
  
Kero's scowl disappeared as he thought about it. "Well." he said, rising higher, "I seem ore and more of them down every road from up here, so. Yeah, we're going to have to find a way around them."  
  
Meiling smirked somewhat diabolically. She had a wonderful plan in mind. "Well, then I have an idea. Eriol, can you follow me?"  
  
Eriol stood up and asked in his most gentleman-like fashion, "How can I be of service?"  
  
Meiling hopped over the bushes and replied, "Well, we're going to need a wardrobe change. And you're just the person to help us get it."  
  
Sakura leaned over the top of the bushes and asked, "What are you talking about? Why do we need new clothes?"  
  
"You'll see," replied Meiling, just before charging down the street towards the next corner where the demon guards were still searching. She stopped just before she was in sight of the demons and waited for Eriol to catch up. When he did, she whispered into his ear and he nodded, as if to agree with the plan.  
  
Eriol turned and ran into an alleyway behind the store they stood next to. "What are they planning to do?" Sakura asked, leaning forward alongside Tomoyo and Syaoran, all hoping to see what was going on. Kero sat atop Sakura's head, also watching carefully.  
  
Quickly, Meiling leaped into the center of the street. "Hey, over here! Come on, you stupid demons! Bet you can't catch me!"  
  
Syaoran stood up quickly, a grimace on his face and a look of fear in his eyes. "What the hell is she doing? Those guys are armed with swords! She's going to get herself killed!"  
  
"Meiling, please, don't do anything brash!" Tomoyo called out.  
  
The girl turned and ran back, though, as a fleet of demons followed closely behind. She ran towards the alley where her ally was lying in wait. "NOW!"  
  
Eriol raised his staff and began to summon a spell. As the demons passed the alley, a gust of wind picked up in a matter of seconds. The ferocity of the wind threw the demons across the street and they skidded off the ground into trees, mailboxes, walls, and anything in their path.  
  
Sakura sighed, surveying the carnage, as the demons lie around her, unconscious. "I really wish we didn't have to do this. I always feel so bad for them."  
  
Tomoyo nodded in agreement. "They may be non-living and demons, but that doesn't mean we should hurt them." She bent over and observed one of the said demons that had been thrown into a wall. She was a tall, Asian, brunette woman with teal eyes underneath her sunglasses. Her dark brown hair fell from behind her ear over her glasses. Tomoyo pushed it back and smiled. "And, after all, they do look so human."  
  
Eriol just let out a giant sigh, threw his hands in the air, surrendering. "Okay, okay, I give up. After this, I'll try not to hurt any more of them, Is that all right with you all?"  
  
Sakura and Tomoyo nodded in approval.  
  
"Good," Eriol continued. "Then Sakura, Tomoyo, grab a suit and follow my lead."  
  
********************************  
  
Meiling marched down the demon filled road, wrapped up with a tight rope. Behind her, four demons smiled and forced her along. "Hey, quit shoving!" Meiling screamed to her captors behind her.  
  
"Errr. be quiet!" Said one female demon to her prisoner. "Was that too harsh?" she then asked in a barely audible whisper.  
  
Meiling sighed and tried to explain the situation as best as she could. "No, you have to act more aggressive, Kinomoto. We want them to think that you really fought to catch me. Whatever you do, don't act nice!"  
  
"Hoeee." Sakura whispered. "I'll try, but I'm not good at that sort of thing."  
  
"Hey, you four there! With the girl!" A female demon called out to them from down the road. It looked like she was she was guarding the end of the street. She ran to them, a never ceasing and serious look on her face, and began to question them. "This girl. who is she?"  
  
"She's one of the girls with that Kinomoto girl that's always plaguing our master," Tomoyo said, in a completely expressionless tone. "We found her spying on us, over on the other street. She was alone, and we captured her quickly. We were on our way to meet up with a friend of ours who said he had a few 'tests' to run on anyone we could find."  
  
"Well, you old freaks just got lucky! If my guard wasn't down, I would have easily beaten you all!" Meiling screamed in protest. "I was just distracted."  
  
Eriol pushed her along. "Yeah, yeah, just keep quiet. Don't make it any harder on yourself. Just be glad we didn't kill you when we had the chance."  
  
The inspecting demon smiled. "Koji will be pleased with this. Take her wherever you need to, but don't lose track of her. I'm sure Koji would enjoy some personal time with her later. You're clear to pass." She waved them on and they all continued.  
  
As soon as the group was out of sight, they all breathed a sigh of relief. "I don't know how you guys do that." Syaoran said. "Tomoyo, Meiling, Eriol. you all act so well. I froze up. I didn't know what to say."  
  
Sakura nodded in agreement. "I've never known anyone who can act so well as you, Tomoyo, you're always so nice, but you can perfectly act like one of Koji's demons."  
  
Eriol laughed. "Well, if Daidouji can do anything better than I can, it's lying. She's quite good at that."  
  
Tomoyo blushed. "Oh, no, it's nothing. Meiling was what made it seem like we really did it."  
  
This brought a smile to the young Chinese girl. "Well, I was pretty good, but then again, it's not too far off from how I would really have acted, so. Well, anyway, we're almost to Daidouji's house."  
  
Kero popped out from behind Sakura's head. "The gaki is right. Let's move!"  
  
They continued down the long street, flying by shops, homes, and occasionally other demons. When they approached, they merely grabbed Meiling and pretended to be leading her somewhere. When this long road was finished, they finally reached their destination.  
  
They rounded the last corner and approached the Daidouji Manor.  
  
Or. well. where it used to be.  
  
Syaoran removed his sunglasses. "These. these things must be making me hallucinate. That's. that's not Tomoyo's house. it's. it's. MY HOUSE!"  
  
Tomoyo dropped her glasses to the ground, and tears began to pour from her eyes. "But. if your house is there. where. where. My family. are they.. okay?" She walked up to the gate, the exact gate they had entered when they visited the Li Manor in the past, and fell to her knees. "Mother. please. be okay." She dropped her face into her cupped hands and cried.  
  
Sakura, Syaoran, and Meiling all dropped down beside Tomoyo and began to try and comfort her. Eriol, though, stood, staring at the home, clenching his fist tightly. "It's too late. I knew it would happen, but I didn't think it would be so soon. Darn it."  
  
Sakura turned back to Eriol, with a look of sadness still for Tomoyo, and asked, "Wait, what's going on? How did you know about this?"  
  
Eriol turned away. "I knew. something LIKE this could happen. And if what I'm thinking is actually happening, Tomoyo, you need not worry for your family's safety."  
  
The girl's tears stopped rolling. "What. do you mean? I mean, she's gone, isn't she?"  
  
Eriol nodded. "Perhaps, but she's not dead. Granted, what's happening may be worse than if she had. I believe."  
  
"Sakura-chan? Xiao Lang? Daidouji-chan?" A familiar voice interrupted Eriol, and when the group turned to answer, they went into a state of shock.  
  
"AERIN?!" screamed Sakura.  
  
Standing on the other side of the gate was their friend from the past, as well as Syaoran's ancestor. "What.. What are you doing in China? Or back in my time, for that matter?" asked the confused Aerin.  
  
Syaoran slowly pushed open the gate, answering. "You mean, what are YOU doing in OUR time in Japan?"  
  
Aerin blinked. "Wait, you mean. WE were sent here? But." she looked around. "You're right. this does not look nor feel like home. What is going on here? I didn't sense someone here casting any spell, especially a time related one. Those are very easy to feel."  
  
Eriol sat down and leaned against the fence. He pushed his glasses higher on his face and said, "It's an extremely long story, but the short answer is, Koji is at fault. This is his doing alone."  
  
Syaoran turned and asked, "But how could he do this? I mean, how are these places connected at all? It doesn't-"  
  
Eriol raised one hand to silence him. "Not right now. We need to get everyone together. I will go find the rest of our group, and bring them back here. We have little time to lose. The rest of you, wait here."  
  
Sakura nodded. "I'm not sure what's going on, but okay. Is there anything we can do to help?"  
  
Eriol started to walk away, but look backed to reply, "Just prepare yourself."  
  
Sakura asked, "For what?"  
  
Eriol replied, "Anything." He started to sprint away.  
  
Aerin clutched her chest, in worry. "This is not good." She squeezed even harder. "Even I cannot foretell what is going to happen. I can't see anything. Something most strange is going on, that it is. But, in any case, please, why don't you all come inside?"  
  
"Eh? Is that you, Li Xiao Lang?" Takumi stood under the archway of the door as the group tried to enter. He turned to his wife and exclaimed. "My love, you didn't tell me that they were going to come for a visit so soon! I could have arranged for some entertainment tonight!"  
  
Syaoran sighed and answered, "I assure you, even we didn't know we should be returning this soon."  
  
Aerin ran up to her husband, face to face, to deliver the news. "The problem is, it is to that they have come to visit us, but we have come to visit them. We're in Japan, dear, in the future."  
  
Takumi's eyes shrunk. He shook his head. "Could. could you repeat that? I could have sworn you just said we were in Japan in the future."  
  
Aerin shook her head meekly. "That's exactly what I said."  
  
Takumi stood in stunned silence for a moment. "Oh." He finally said. and then started to walk off, seemingly in a state of shock. "I think. I'll go lie down."  
  
Meiling couldn't take it anymore. "Wait, wait, hold on. Let me get this straight, I've been trying to figure this out, but.. This is the LI MANOR, our Li Manor, from ancient times, that you all visited before you told me about this whole adventure?"  
  
Aerin nodded. "Yes, this is where they came before. Although, this mansion was in China last time." Aerin sighed. "Oh, but look at all of you, disguised like those demons out there. Come. I'll help you all get into something more appropriate while we wait for your friends. Oh, maids, could you please come here a minute?" Four women, all dressed as servants, entered the room from three different doors around the room. "Could you please all take our guests to their rooms and find them something suitable to wear?"  
  
"With pleasure!" They all said, before each maid grabbed a guest and started to force them along.  
  
"Uhhh, h-hey, we don't want to. err. be a bother." Sakura said.  
  
"Oh, it's no trouble at all, Aerin said, before the maids had removed everyone from speaking distance from her.  
  
Four doors slammed in a row, as the guests were brought into their rooms and changed. Upon them emerging, they were all clad in their old Chinese clothing from their first visit to China.  
  
"Ah, this brings back memories." said Sakura, reminiscing about their previous trip. the food, the wedding. the dancing.  
  
"Sakura, that was only a few days ago," Syaoran interrupted.  
  
"Oh! Right! I guess it has just seemed like so long." She said with a laugh, trying to cover her embarrassment.  
  
Meiling looked down at her clothes. "Hmmm? My old battle uniform from the Clow Card capturing days. Shaoran's mother always told me that the design came from our family, a long time ago. I didn't know it came from this time!"  
  
"Actually, it was my mother's design," said Aerin, coming down the hall. "But we don't have much time to discuss that. Your friends are here, waiting for you in the dining hall. We'll be serving tea as we overhear what's going on. Well, come along now." She shooed them along the hall.  
  
The doors to the large dining hall were flung open. It was the same room the wedding had been held mere days (or was it centuries?) before. However, the vast room, which was once covered in tables, guests, food, musicians, and everything else was most bare. Every step of Sakura's flat shoes echoed loudly throughout the room. In the very center of the room was a large, circular table with a light reddish-brown polish to it. Chairs were pulled out beside it, and some of Sakura's friends filled them. Eriol sat sipping his tea beside Kaho at the very end of the table. Mia was beside Kaho, still in her younger state, which made sitting and drinking on the somewhat short chairs a little difficult. Yue sat beside Eriol, on his other side, followed by Ruby Moon and Spinnel.  
  
Sakura pulled out a chair across from Eriol and noticed the porcelain tea set in front of her. A maid came up and poured her a cup, and did the same for the others as they took their seats. At first, no one said anything. Sakura, Syaoran, Tomoyo, and Meiling just sat and watched Eriol, who rested his arms on the table, thinking to himself. He was still disguised as one of Koji's lackeys, but didn't seem to mind. He had too much on his mind. He slowly stood up and leaned over the table. ".I'm afraid I've gone over everything I've seen, and all I can say is the situation may be worse than I could have ever imagined."  
  
There was silence once more.  
  
Sakura pondered what he could have meant and finally built up the nerve to ask, "What is going on, exactly?"  
  
Eriol pushed his glasses back up and calmly answered, "Koji is planning to tear this dimension into shreds."  
  
Syaoran stood up, leaning over the table. "What did you just say? Can you do that? Is it possible?"  
  
Eriol sat back down and sighed. "Unfortunately, not only is it possible, but we've already witnessed an effect. We're sitting in it right now."  
  
Tomoyo looked around her. "You mean, my house has vanished because Koji wants to destroy this world?"  
  
Eriol nodded. "Well, for the most part, that's true. The only thing wrong is that your house has not 'vanished.' It was merely relocated. As was the house we currently sit in."  
  
"Relocated?" Mia asked. "What, so Tomoyo's house is in China right now?"  
  
Eriol shook his head. "Not quite. You're close but. It's back in time. You see, I've noticed some odd effects in this world. Areas being swapped, people vanishing, and even personalities changing."  
  
"Eh? You mean that's why all the people in this world are so weird?" asked Meiling in an annoyed tone.  
  
Eriol nodded once more. "Precisely. According to my research, this world was meant to be different in that Sakura was NOT to be the Master of the Clow, but rather, Syaoran was. I did some deeper research and it appears, here, the Clow Book never came to Japan. It remained in the possession of the Li Clan for a long time. But then, Syaoran, much like Sakura, opened the book and lost the Cards. which were blown by a magic wind to Japan. That is where Sakura met Kero. The story plays out much like it already has, but the difference was Li had the Windy Card from the start. That made the entire set of cards the two owned completely different. This, of course, affected the Final Judgment. However, as you have seen with the Sakura, Syaoran, and others of this world, there are many differences within them. Sakura should not be a swords woman. Tomoyo should not know how to fight. Meiling should not be interested in cameras. These personality traits are being swapped as the world splits. They're almost like errors in a computer program."  
  
Aerin stepped forward. "Excuse me, but, if I may ask, what is causing this split in the dimension?"  
  
"Simple. Koji has mastered the art of not only being in three different places at once, but being in three different times," replied the boy.  
  
"Hoeee? How would that change the dimension?" asked Sakura.  
  
Eriol got up and started to pace impatiently. "It's extremely complicated, but I'll try to make it easier to understand. You see, Koji has used his powers to go into the past, present, and future of this world all at once. In each of these worlds, he changes something drastically. Thus, he alters, and basically severs, the timeline for each world into three separate pieces."  
  
Tomoyo turned her head to Eriol and asked, "If you don't mind my asking, what will that accomplish? Isn't he after Clow Reed?"  
  
Eriol nodded. "Indeed, he is. But, you see, I was no fool, when I was Clow Reed. Clow has sensed Koji's intent and has fortified his location under a seal. No one from any dimension can break through it from the outside. Thus, for Koji to get in. He must be. between dimensions. He must be non- existent in any world. This is why he is doing what he's doing. When the world splits into three separate worlds, he will be at the center of the tear in time and space, thus, not belonging in any world. He can then bring himself to Clow Reed's location."  
  
There was a deafening silence in the room once more. Though the footstep of a mouse could be heard echoing in the huge room, not a single sound, not even a breath, could be heard.  
  
The ground began to shake a little.  
  
"What was that?" Asked Sakura.  
  
Aerin shook her head. "It's. begun."  
  
Syaoran stood up and grabbed his pedant around his neck. "WELL? What are we waiting for? We have to get him!" Eriol shook his head. "I'm sorry, but we can't do that yet. A world in a dimension is a huge place. It may take anywhere from a day to a week for the entire process to be completed. In the mean time, we can expect many 'glitches,' like this house being here. It would be best if we all stayed here to wait this out, lest we get separated and cannot find someone, or something appears that harms him or her."  
  
Syaoran stared at Eriol. "What do you mean that these things will continue to happen?"  
  
"In essence," explained Eriol, "He's tearing the entire universe apart. This requires tremendous force, and is not very accurate. Objects may be flung through time and space randomly, and one never knows what might occur. That is why we must stay here."  
  
The ground shook once more. "What the hell was that?" Syaoran asked, making his way to the front door. He threw them open, and outside the gates, where houses once stood were now gigantic trees. "What. what in. Where did all the houses and stores go?!" He asked.  
  
"This is what I told you." Eriol said, approaching. "The area has been swapped with a random moment in history. By the looks of it, about 30 million years ago."  
  
Aerin stepped forward. "I can't sense the presence of any people there. Not even Koji's foot soldiers. That must mean they've also been switched."  
  
Eriol grabbed Aerin and Sakura's hands and turned back and ran to the main hall again. "Mia, join hands with us. We don't have much time to lose. Sakura, get out the Shield and the Time."  
  
Sakura reached for her bag, asking, "But what good will these do?"  
  
Eriol didn't answer. "Daidouji, come here, and have out your necklace!" Tomoyo ran swiftly, though unsure of what she was to do. Her footsteps were too fast to allow it to fully echo. As soon as she reached Eriol he grabbed the necklace tightly in a fist and his hand glowed. He transferred his energy straight into the jewel. A great set of wings wrapped around her and she emerged as her angel form. "Take these cards, and form a protective shield for this house." Eriol grabbed the Time and Shield cards from Sakura and handed them to the girl. Tomoyo snapped her fingers and a staff appeared in her hands.  
  
"Oh, Cards of unimaginable power," She lifted the Shield Card, "protect all that dwell in this house." she lifted the Time Card, "from the effects of time itself!"  
  
A bright light exploded from Tomoyo's hands, causing everyone but her to close their eyes and cover their faces with their hands. When it cleared, a light yellow light could be seen overhead out the skylight.  
  
Eriol stared at the light for a moment before taking a giant sigh. "That should keep us safe while we're here. Now we can't be teleported as long as we stay here."  
  
Sakura just stared out the skylight. "I just hope everything goes all right.  
  
A day passed, and it was night once more.  
  
Sakura lay awake in her bed, staring up at the sky through her window. She sat up, curling her legs in, and rested her chin, thinking. "What's gonna happen to us.? Koji's ripping a dimension apart. And where are we going to go? How will we survive? Can we come back? .I'm scared."  
  
The door crept open slightly. The candlelight trailed through the crack down onto the edge of her bed. The door opened a little more and a pair of brown eyes peered in. "Sakura, you're awake, too?"  
  
The girl nodded, hugging her blanket. Syaoran came in and sat down on her bed, sighing deeply. Sakura shifted closer to Syaoran. "Are. you worried, too?" He nodded his head slowly. "I just can't stop thinking. how much the world is changing out there while we're stuck in here, waiting, all for the end to come for this world. It's been a day since the shield went up, and all we've been allowed to do is wait. I want to go out there and do something. but I can't. I'm scared."  
  
Syaoran moved closer and put his arms on her shoulders, letting her lean on his. "I know what you mean. But. remember, when we catch Koji, everything will return to normal."  
  
Sakura pulled herself out from under her covers and sat beside Syaoran on the edge of the bed. She stared down at her cute, bare feet. "But. what if we can't catch him? This world will never be the same. Everyone will be gone. Syaoran, you won't even be born. Neither will I. We can't fail. but what if we do?!"  
  
They both sat silent momentarily. "Sakura," Syaoran began, "you've managed to capture and control all of the Clow Cards. you made them into Sakura Cards, too. Every time something has happened, you've stayed strong; you didn't give up, stood up, faced it, and won. You're going to do it again, too, because I believe you can." He moved his hand on top of hers. "And I'm going to be there with you, the whole time."  
  
Sakura face reddened deeply. ".Thank you. I feel better. I don't know what will happen if we lose. but I know. we mustn't. we can't. we won't." She leaned her head on his shoulder and yawned. "I refuse to lose."  
  
Syaoran smiled slightly as the girl on his shoulder closed her eyes. "I'm always going to be by your side, Sakura." He yawned as well. "One way or another." He started to slowly fall back onto the bed, Sakura still leaning on him, "I'm not going to lose you again. Ever."  
  
The dawn came again.  
  
Sakura sat back up, in her bed. She squinted her eyes, looking out the window from which the sun pored in. She realized she was still hanging over the edge of her bed, not under the covers, where she had fallen with Syaoran. But yet.. Her clothes didn't fit right. She felt somehow. different, too. She stood up to find her one-piece pajama dress went well below her feet. She walked over to a mirror and a child-like face stared back at her. "I'm back to my old self!" she exclaimed in excitement. "The spell wore off! I'm not 16 anymore!" She ran down the hallway, down to where most people ate their breakfast in the morning, throwing open the door. At a table, Tomoyo, Mia, and Meiling were eating, all their normal selves. She ran forward, exclaiming, "Wow! We're all back to norm-ah! HOEEE!"  
  
Sakura's foot stepped on her excessively long gown and she began to fall. She closed her eyes, not daring to watch. But before she hit the ground, something, or somebody, broke her fall. She was turned over to have another pair of brown eyes staring back at her. "Are you all right, Sakura?" Syaoran asked. He was back in his old body as well. Both their cheeks reddened as they stared back into each other silent.  
  
"Hee hee. I see our little doves are fine this morning." Said Mia, whispering to Tomoyo.  
  
Tomoyo turned to Mia and giggled back. "Indeed, it is so lovely to see them together, even if they won't admit they're in love quite yet."  
  
Syaoran set Sakura down, but didn't stop blushing. "Err. yes, I'm all right," answered Sakura finally. "it may be strange, but I guess I'm not used to my old body. Errr. well, it's my young body but uhhh. Hoeee. I'm confusing myself."  
  
Syaoran nodded, but faced away from Sakura rigidly. "Errr. I know what you mean. Well. I was just on my way to the bath, so, maybe I should be."  
  
Sakura turned and grabbed Syaoran's arm. "Well, actually, before you go." The boy stopped and turned around, somehow less embarrassed and more curious. Sakura stared at the ground, twiddling her fingers, trying to find the courage to say what must be said. "I just wanted to thank you for last night. I was pretty scared. but when you came, I felt a lot better. I was doubting myself until you told me not to."  
  
Syaoran frowned a little. "I didn't do anything."  
  
"That's not true!" Sakura shouted, somewhat shocked at the boy's reply. "You do so much for me! You're always there when I need a friend. You help me try even harder! Just your being there helps me feel better."  
  
Syaoran moved in closer to Sakura, wrapping one arm around her shoulder. The bright morning light came out from behind a cloud and shimmered over them. "Sakura." Syaoran whispered. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you." He took a deep breath.  
  
"You're not the only one who feels that way. I. I feel that way when I'm near you, too." He took a deep, trembling breath. "Sakura. what I mean to say is. I. I lo-"  
  
SLAM!  
  
A door swung open, causing a loud crash as Takumi came into the room, carrying a tray of breakfast foods sleepily. "Sorry it took so long for me to get everything ready," Takumi said. Sakura and Syaoran halted their movements, blushed, and walked away, excusing themselves.  
  
"Damn." Mia exclaimed.  
  
"And they were so close, too." Tomoyo said, depressingly.  
  
Takumi stood over Tomoyo and Mia's table, blinking for a second. "Errr. did I do something wrong?"  
  
Syaoran leaned his back up against the wall of the men's bath. He was half- submerged, just thinking about the situation. "When will I ever get my time to say how I feel?" He rolled over, resting on his arms on the edge of the bath. "Every time I try, something interrupts me. Every time! I can almost hear someone laughing at me. like it's some kind of joke." He sighed and dunked his head under.  
  
Though, he didn't realize on the other side of the wall he rested by, Sakura was under the water herself in the women's bath. She rose to the surface and inhaled deeply. "Ah, so nice and warm." She moved up against the wall and sighed. "Though, now I wonder.. What did Syaoran want to tell me? His eyes. looked. so calm and sweet. but he looked scared. I hope something isn't bothering him." She stood up and grabbed her towel. "I'll go see him right away!"  
  
Syaoran came up from underwater. "That's it! I can't wait around anymore. Who knows when Koji's power might tear this dimension apart? I'm going to tell Sakura how I feel and I'm going to do it right away!" He grabbed his towel and ran out of the room.  
  
Sakura turned out of the bath down the hall, still drying her hair. Syaoran did the same, going the same way, though Sakura was just out of sight before he entered the hallways. They both walked down the halls back to the main entrance. On the way, they passed by the library where Aerin, Eriol, and Kaho studied a set of books. Yue and Ruby Moon sat by, watching, waiting. Tomoyo was practicing her singing with Mia listening in a small dance hall. Sakura noticed Meiling practicing her martial arts in the training room along with Takumi. Kero was gorging himself in the kitchen, much to the disgust of Spinnel. Seeing all her friends having fun like this made Sakura's face light up. "But I don't see Syaoran." she said.  
  
Syaoran took the same path around the halls as Sakura, mumbling to himself. "I see Eriol, Kaho, Meiling, Kero. but where's Sakura?"  
  
Sakura came, finally, to the main entrance. 'Hoeee. this place is so huge. My feet hurt from walking so much." She turned to a small chair in the corner and sat there to rest. "I have to find Syaoran, though!"  
  
Little did she know, though, the boy was approaching the main entrance as well.  
  
"No time to rest, I suppose." She stood up and headed back towards the same hallways she had just exited. "I'll make sure I didn't just pass him."  
  
But as she walked to the hall, Syaoran emerged quickly and the two collided. Sakura fell to the ground. "HOE! I'm sorry, I didn't. Syaoran!"  
  
The boy helped Sakura to her feet. "Sakura!"  
  
"I've been looking for you!" The both exclaimed at once. "Eh? Me? Why me?" They then both asked in sync. "Well. err. I had something to tell you."  
  
"Errr. you go first." Sakura said.  
  
"No, no, you can go." Syaoran replied.  
  
Eriol dropped his book and looked out the window. ".It's time."  
  
"Well, it's just. you looked like something was bothering you, Syaoran. so.. I thought you might want to talk about it," Sakura explained.  
  
Syaoran sighed. "Actually, something has been on my mind for a while. But every time I try to say it, I lose the courage, or something interrupts me."  
  
Sakura placed her hands on her chest and looked Syaoran in the eyes with a look of concern. "Syaoran, you know you can tell me anything."  
  
"Well, Sakura." he started. "It's about my feelings. I've. felt this way for so long. But I'm going to just say it. Sakura. I think I-"  
  
The front door was suddenly thrown open violently, with a tremendous force pulling everything inside towards it. Candles, chairs, anything not nailed down was pulled closer to the vacuum. Everything went dark. Eriol ran into the room, followed closely by Spinnel, Kero, Yue, and Ruby Moon. "The time is now!" Eriol Exclaimed. "The dimension is splitting, and this shield cannot hold us for long. Any minute, part of this house could cave in on us. We must move! Everyone out of here, quickly! We will escape into the rip in the dimension. The worst outside is over. Quickly!" A fleet of people came running by, Takumi leading the servants and others of the house outside.  
  
Tomoyo, Mia, Kaho, Aerin, and the others ran by as well. Eriol himself grabbed Kaho's hand and raced outside as well.  
  
"Sakura-chan! Li-kun! Hurry, please!" Tomoyo yelled to the pair as Mia and the others helped her out.  
  
Sakura started to make for the door when Syaoran grabbed her by the hand. "Syaoran, what are you doing? We have to go!"  
  
Syaoran shook his head. "I can't be interrupted! Sakura, just promise me one thing! Where you go. Whatever you do. Let me be with you!"  
  
A tear rolled down Sakura's cheek and she hugged him tight. "Of course, Syaoran."  
  
The void grew stronger and together, hand in hand, they ran through the door into the darkness.  
  
To be continued. 


	31. Returning

These last few months have really been something. Things have not offered me the time nor mindset to really do much writing. And I've truly felt so guilty for not updating. For that, I apologize. But you are not here to listen to my apologies. So, I will skip that and move on to the last chapter of Sadin's Revival, closing the book on this 2 year piece of work. I hope you enjoy it.  
  
Note: The very, very, very last scene borrows heavily from Card Captor Sakura: The Sealed Card (the second movie). I do NOT claim ANY ownership over the scene, character, dialogue, or anything else. I merely added it for story context, and it purely belongs to CLAMP. Similarly, none of the characters or locations from the rest of the chapter belong to me. They are the sole property of CLAMP.  
  
And now, the final chapter.  
  
Chapter 31: Returning  
  
Lightning-like energy surged through the nothingness of the void between worlds. Pieces of the old dimension could be faintly seen still dissolving, being sucked into nothingness. But otherwise, there was nothing. One couldn't even say it was dark, because there was no light in the void, and without light, darkness cannot exist.  
  
Sakura looked all around her, trembling in fear. "S-Syaoran? Where are you? I can't see anything. I can't see the house, you, or even my own hands." She inhaled, wheezing. "I can barely breathe. I feel like I'm not standing on anything."  
  
Then a familiar feeling came over her, as a hand held tightly on to hers. "It's okay, Sakura, I'm here. I'm scared, too, but. we're here together. I said I wasn't going to let you go, and I intend to live up to that promise."  
  
Though he was scared, too, Sakura's heart calmed once more, and she smiled. But worry quickly picked up again. "I can sense him.. Koji."  
  
A light flared up. Suddenly, the entire group was visible once more. But still, the world was dark; no object other than each other and the house were visible. The air was far more breathable. There, in front of the house, stood Aerin, channeling her power, holding open the Li family fan. Sakura's earlier feelings about floating were indeed, true. They were all suspended in what would have been air, had there been any. "Do not worry, you're all safe now. When the dimensions split, everything was removed, all matter and energy included," Aerin began. "The sparks you see above." she said, taking a fleeting glance at the purple bolts above, "are the remains of the worlds, the last bits being taken away. Of course, this means there is no air, no land, and no light with which to fight." Aerin took a deep breath and concentrated. "Luckily, with my powers, and this fan, I can channel my energy in order to create those necessities."  
  
Tomoyo took a deep breath as well, in order to test the air. "You are right. I can breathe quite well now."  
  
"Oh, dear, I seem to have forgotten the ground," Aerin stated. She closed her eyes tight, and with minimal thought, the entire group fell down onto a dark, reflective surface, showing upside down images of the whole group. Of course, few were really prepared for this and no one but Tomoyo, Eriol, Yue, and Aerin actually landed on their feet.  
  
"Ow." Meiling mumbled from underneath a very heavy Keroberos. "Get off, you giant plush toy."  
  
"Oops, sorry about that," Aerin apologized. "However, now, you have air to breathe, light to see, and ground to walk on. I believe I can keep these things here for an hour or two, so, try to defeat Koji quickly. I wish I could come with you, or Takumi, but I have to stay here to focus on this spell, and Takumi must protect me."  
  
Mia stepped forward. "Perhaps I can be of some use?"  
  
Aerin turned to the girl. "Don't you want to go with Sakura and the others to see Koji?"  
  
She nodded. "I would, but. I think I'd be of more use here. I'm not a fighter. I can use a few spells, but I think I can help you with your spells here, which would help everyone most of all."  
  
Sakura nodded. "Don't worry, Mia, we'll win. We'll be back."  
  
Aerin smiled warmly. "It's good to see you all are so confident. I wish you luck."  
  
Eriol did not face Aerin. He merely stared deep out into the void. "Don't worry. We won't fail."  
  
Sakura nodded and turned back to Aerin. "Koji's destroyed too much. He's hurt too many people. I won't let him continue. I don't know what I'll do. but I know we'll stop him. I won't give up." Syaoran smiled at her determination.  
  
Aerin smiled briefly herself. "All right, then, off you go."  
  
Tomoyo nodded in agreement. "We really should be going, lest we waste the time Aerin can hold her spell."  
  
Eriol pointed straight out into the darkness. "I feel his presence. He has begun to use his power. Let's make haste."  
  
Silently, the group walked forward. However, their minds were not the least bit silent. "What if we fail?" "Is he too strong?" "I'm so worried." "We can't lose, but I don't know how we can win." "Even I don't know if I can beat someone with that much magic power."  
  
Sakura, though, was the most worried, despite hiding it well. She reflected back on all that had happened what seemed like years ago. The demon attacks in the park and at home, the trip itself seven years into the future, the search for the temples, the final battle with Sadin. All of the memories came rushing back. Then she remembered more recent events. Syaoran saving her life, meeting her own ancestors, becoming a baby again, meeting Syaoran's ancestors, journeying to the crazed new world.  
  
What if she failed?  
  
She could never return. All those efforts would be in vain. All the memories, all the good times, everything that made it worthwhile would be erased permanently. A tear ran down her cheek. She couldn't let that happen. She wouldn't let that happen.  
  
Syaoran's hand rested on Sakura's shoulder.  
  
"Hoe?"  
  
"Don't worry, Sakura," he reassured her. "I know you'll do fine. We're in this together, remember, and I told you I'm not going to let you get away from me again."  
  
Sakura's cheeks reddened and a small smile came across her lips. ".Thank you, for everything." Sakura whispered.  
  
Koji focused his magic into his Mirror of Time. A blue light shot from it and started to form a small portal through time. "At last, I can-No, wait, it can't. DAMMIT! How did they." He wiped the sweat from his forehead and fixed his hair back. "That's all right. You knew it would be hard to get rid of them, no matter what. It's time to finish this once and for all. No more interruptions." He picked up his sword, turned, and marched away.  
  
Around five minutes had passed since the house went out of view entirely, but it felt like hours in anticipation. Still, Sakura was beginning to relax. Her confidence was slowly returning.  
  
Then Koji came marching into view and Sakura's heart sank down into her stomach. She felt almost as if she would lose consciousness at any moment.  
  
"What do you want? You have all been nothing but a thorn in my side since I started. You stand in the way of glory, in the way of progress, in MY way," Koji stated with much anger in his voice. No doubt, he was more than a little irritated by this latest intrusion. "WHAT IS IT YOU WANT?!"  
  
"The way of 'glory?!'" Meiling asked in anger. "We've seen your 'ways' and they only hurt people! Well, the only one around here that is going to get hurt is you!"  
  
Koji's eyes narrowed and his scowl grew worse. "You truly are blind. You don't realize it is my inborn RIGHT! These worlds. all of them, will be better off when I control their pasts, presents, and futures!"  
  
Sakura shook her head fast and stepped forward, tears about to come down. "Please, Koji, stop. You can't do this. It's. it's not right! People will get hurt. That's not right. We don't want to have to force you. so. please. don't."  
  
Koji smiled. "I apologize, but I'm not able to do that. I have to continue on. And if I have to eliminate you all before I can do that." He raised his sword higher. "Well, then, so be it."  
  
As quickly as she possibly could, Sakura summoned her staff and had a card in the air. "WINDY!"  
  
The graceful and gentle spirit of the wind emerged immediately and attempted to hold the boy down. That, of course, failed. Koji easily used his own strength to break the spirit off of himself. "Pathetic."  
  
Eriol ran up beside Sakura. "What are you doing? I know you knew Windy wouldn't work. What are you trying to do?"  
  
Sakura looked down, "I still don't want to really hurt him, so."  
  
"GET DOWN!" Syaoran pushed Sakura to the ground as Koji ran up and attempted to stab her. Syaoran raised his sword and attempted to duel with him, but Eriol had another idea. He raised his staff and summoned fire, charring the demon-boy and causing him to step back momentarily.  
  
But the boy was not stunned for long, and he made a run for Tomoyo and Meiling. Tomoyo had not powered up her jewel yet, and was defenseless; Meiling stepped out in front, ready to ward him off. But Koji still continued to charge, his sword raised.  
  
Then it was thrown from his hands. A bolt from Yue had sent it flying, and he fired another shot from his bow and struck the confused boy right in the side, throwing him back. Spinnel took advantage and pounced on the boys back. The jaguar-like beast applied all the pressure he could, trying to disable his foe. However, before he could, Koji got a firm grasp on the Mirror of Time and held it to Spinnel's face, releasing a tremendous blast of power, shoving the guardian back.  
  
"Fine, if you want to play it the hard way." Koji stood up and created a shield merely by thinking it. "I wasn't expecting to have to do this, but it's not my funeral."  
  
The group moved closer, to try and stop him from doing whatever it was he planned, but as soon as Syaoran got within a meter of Koji's shield. A giant spark threw him back.  
  
"SYAORAN!" Sakura shouted.  
  
"Shaoran!" cried Meiling.  
  
The two girls rushed over to him, but, luckily, he was just stunned for a moment. More shook up than hurt.  
  
Inside the shield, Koji caused the Mirror itself to float in the air as he concentrated and meditated, mumbling some inaudible chant. The mirror gained a light blue aura around itself. Koji then proceeded to place his arm right through the very face of the mirror. Slowly, the same blue aura began to pulse from the mirror through the rest of his body. Even his eyes were soon glowing a light blue.  
  
"He's. absorbing the power directly from the mirror!" Yue exclaimed. He raised his bow once more, and fired directly at the shield. His arrow was sent directly back at him, throwing the guardian onto his back with tremendous force.  
  
The shield dropped, and Koji stepped forwards. "And that's just a small taste of what I can do."  
  
"Enough!" Syaoran screamed, raising his sword and barreling down on his foe. Koji, however, merely raised his sword and threw Syaoran's balance off with a single block, and then blasted him back with a bolt of lightning- like energy. The poor boy screeched and skidded across the emptiness underneath them.  
  
Eriol raised his staff and summoned the elements of Lightning, Fire, and Water at Koji at once, but simply by holding his mirror to them, they were shot directly back, weakening the might wizard.  
  
Sakura threw two cards once more into the air. "POWER! JUMP!" She leaped up in attempt to land and kick Koji aside. But he grabbed her by the leg as she fell and threw her on top of Syaoran, who was just beginning to stand.  
  
Kero, Spinnel, Nakuru, Yue, Tomoyo, Meiling. No matter who attacked, how they fought, and how much power they used, Koji simply tossed them aside like rag dolls. Soon enough, he was the only one on his feet.  
  
He slowly moved towards Eriol, who was struggling to get to his feet, and stepped on his hand. Koji pulled the boy closer and looked him right in the eyes, a sinister grin across his lips. "What's wrong? Giving up already? I'm surprised. I thought you all could give me a better challenge than this."  
  
Koji's whole face had changed. His features grew smaller. His hair grew lighter. His skin was nearly as white as a sheet of fresh snow; only it glowed with the power resonating within him. The pupils of his eyes, even vanished, replaced only with the radiance of his power.  
  
Sakura used her staff like a cane, letting herself slowly stand. She kept her face towards the ground. "Koji, please. listen. This is for your own good. You're not just destroying us, our world, or any of that. You're destroying yourself! That look on your face. It's. It's. It's not right! You're not even the same person. You used to laugh and joke. You were out to get us, but its like you're losing yourself so slowly. I've thought of this for a while now. and I have to tell you. Stop, for your own sake."  
  
Koji's sinister smile grew ever wider. "Poor, pitiful girl." he said, approaching her. "You really don't get it, do you? THIS. this power. this is all I ever wanted. All I ever DREAMED of! Everything I want is at my fingertips. Who cares what I lose? Why should I care? I have unlimited power. And soon, I will have EVERYTHING!"  
  
Sakura took a step forwards towards the power-hungry demon. "But. that's not true. There's something. something you don't have. There's something you want. something you feel. But no matter what, no matter how much power you gain, no matter how many people you beat. it's still there. It's shown, and it's always shown in your eyes, no matter how corrupt those eyes become with power." She raised her head, her eyes filled with tears. "It hurts, doesn't it?" She wiped her face dry.  
  
Koji's smile turned to a scowl and he took a step backwards as everyone around him began to slowly rise. "Shut up! You don't know me! You know nothing of my mind! I have EVERYTHING!"  
  
Tomoyo stepped forward. "But that's not true, Koji. We can see it in your eyes."  
  
"You want something. You want it so badly, no matter how much power you absorb, you still feel it," Syaoran chimed in.  
  
Koji growled. "I SAID SHUT UP!"  
  
Meiling shook her head. "NO! We won't be quiet, because it's the truth and you know it!"  
  
Eriol slightly smiled, still showing he felt quite a bit of pain, though. "I can see it very clearly. You wanted power to cover over your problems. You felt a hole deep in yourself. You thought you could fill that hole with your lust for power. But the more you gained, the greater that hole became."  
  
"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about," sneered the boy unconvincingly, as if he were trying to hide something.  
  
"Friends," said Sakura. "You're lonely. And you've always been lonely."  
  
Koji clutched his head violently, shaking like a madman, moving as if his mind was trying to jump out of his skull. "SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING! JUST SHUT UP!" Koji threw his palm in Sakura's face and prepared to blast her into oblivion, but she ducked under his attack and rolled out of danger's path. Koji raised both hands towards Sakura this time, but as he fired, Syaoran jumped in the path of the projectiles, hit them with his blade, and sent them right back with a swipe of his blade. The impact of his own shots ricocheted him off the ground and he slid past Meiling on the ground.  
  
Syaoran pointed his weapon at his fallen foe aggressively. "We're not going to give up, Koji, but you should. While you still have the chance. We can change everything back."  
  
Yue and Ruby Moon raised their arrows. Kero and Spinnel stood ready to pounce once more. Eriol held his staff high, ready to summon his power at any moment. Tomoyo stood by Sakura, both of whom had their hands close to the cards. "No matter what," Meiling continued for her cousin, raising her fists in preparation, "we aren't going to give up. And when we're together, we're not going to lose. So, make this easy on yourself. We might take a lot of bumps and bruises."  
  
"But we're all friends here!" Tomoyo stated with an impetuously passionate tone. "Friends support each other; they fight for each other; they do all they can to help one another. I do not like the idea of fighting. Even with. these new powers I have. I'd much rather be behind my camera, supporting everyone with words." She snapped her fingers and her long, slender staff came into her hands. "But I will not allow anyone to hurt my friends. I'll do anything I can to stop it. So, please. Let's stop fighting. It's for the best."  
  
Eriol stomped the end of his staff against the ground. "They speak the truth, Koji. You have nothing to gain. No matter how much power you take in, you will remain empty inside. One doesn't need to see the future to see that. But you also have everything to lose. Surrender."  
  
"NEVER!" Koji leaped back to his feet and charged at Eriol, his fists glowing with his oncoming attack. However, Koji would not have the chance to show what attack he would use, as Eriol knelt down and Meiling used him like a springboard to deliver a kick to his gut, sending him back to the ground again. Koji wasn't seriously hurt, though, and was up as soon as he could get to his feet.  
  
Ruby Moon fired a shot as soon as Koji regained his composure. He leapt to one side to avoid it with ease, but instead found himself face-to-face with Yue, who released a similar attack at point blank range.  
  
This time, before their demon opponent could even recuperate, Eriol and Sakura attacked. With a wave of his staff, a large mass of rock and stone appeared from the nothingness of the lost dimension they were stuck in. The mass took the form of a giant wave and attempted to flatten Koji, but he merely ran faster than it could approach him.  
  
"You underestimate me!" Koji exclaimed in triumph.  
  
Eriol just shook his head and smiled. "On the contrary. You underestimate us and overestimate yourself."  
  
Before Koji could decipher what Eriol meant, he fell to the ground as something gripped his legs tighter and tighter. He looked down to see a row of vines, Sakura's Wood Card, had tied him to the floor. It would only take a moment for him to free himself, but before he could, the wave of rock and stone crashed down upon him.  
  
"Is. is it over?" Tomoyo asked, worryingly.  
  
"No, he's not going to be beaten so easily," said Syaoran. "I can still feel him. But. he's been holding back a little bit. Before Sakura confronted him, he was more than a match for any of us. I doubt that just our working together more closely is what has given us an edge, though."  
  
Sakura nodded. "That's right. Something is wrong with Koji. I mean, something deep inside. I can still see it. The remnants of who he was before he found this power are still there. Maybe his old self is fighting with this new power. and he's too distracted to fight to his fullest."  
  
The pile of rubble Koji lie beneath began to stir until his hand stuck out from underneath. Eriol took a step back. "He's very resilient. We need to finish this fast, before his power can rise even farther. If he can return to his previous mental state with this power."  
  
"Eh? Return?" Tomoyo thought for a second. "Sakura-chan, I think I may have an idea of something I can do, but I'll need the Clow Cards!"  
  
"What are you going to do with them?" Sakura asked, handing the deck to her angelic friend.  
  
"I had an idea for an attack that may be enough to keep Koji down long enough for us to seal his power," she stated. "I hope it is enough. I don't want any more fighting. Now. let me concentrate."  
  
The group took a few steps back from Tomoyo, giving her room to move. She placed the deck in her left hand and placed her right hand on top of the cards. She took her left hand away and the cards continued to stay where they were. Tomoyo kept her right hand on the card and spun slowly in a circle. Slowly, individual cards were left behind until all 52 of them floated around her. She closed her eyes and began to chant as the words came to her.  
  
"Ancient Cards, crafted by Clow, controlled by your new Mistress, lend your power to my staff. Call forth your powers to protect us from those that threaten all that is good."  
  
She reached out and grabbed a card beside her. She flipped it over to reveal Fly.  
  
"Ancient bird of respect and power."  
  
She grabbed another card, Fiery.  
  
"Your wings burning with searing flames."  
  
One last card, Return.  
  
"Return from the ashes to fight our foe!"  
  
A tremendous gust of wind surrounded her as she brought her staff down onto the three cards. "COMBINE!" The three became one. "I SUMMON THE PHOENIX!"  
  
Koji pushed the last piece of rock off of himself and looked to be angrier than ever. However, the angry glare in his eyes quickly turned to astonishment as he felt a great energy building. He could only see his enemies standing before him, but somehow. it felt as if there was something else.  
  
A spark ignited in the air above Koji. Then another. And another. Koji took a cautious step backwards. Soon, these sparks joined into a small flame, hovering in the air. The flame increased and increased in size. It raised itself higher and higher into the air. When it reached its peak of height, it released a violent flash. Koji covered his eyes. When he uncovered them, a giant beast hovered just above him. It was a bird, but no bird like he had ever seen. It had no solid body; it was made of fire. It's screech echoed throughout the empty world. It stared down with dark, black eyes upon Koji, who stood stiff as death in shock.  
  
When his wits returned, he turned to run without a word, but it was no use. The Phoenix released a shrill cry and then lunged right at him. The bird passed right through Koji, with enough heat to incinerate anything. A long wave of fire passed over the boy, who screamed violently as he was burnt alive. By the time that the Phoenix had passed over, Koji was already on the ground, unable to move. The bird flew up higher into the sky and vanished. The card split back into its original three and a moment of suspense hung over the group.  
  
Not a word was spoken, but everyone had the same question on his or her mind: Was it over?  
  
After a minute of waiting, no movement came from Koji. He lied still on the ground. Syaoran stepped forward, being wary. Could it be a trap? Was Koji all right, but merely waiting for them to make the next move?  
  
Sakura followed in step. But as she walked closer, a voice came into her mind.  
  
"It is time to set things right, Sakura."  
  
"Clow. Clow Reed?" Sakura mumbled aloud.  
  
"Sakura-chan, what's wrong?" Tomoyo asked.  
  
"It is time to make things as they were," the voice continued.  
  
"I hear. I hear Clow Reed's voice." Sakura said. "It's telling me. something is wrong. And now is the time to. to. Ugh." The strength within Sakura, she felt, was somehow sapped, and she fell to the ground.  
  
"Where. Where am I?" Sakura asked. She looked all around her. She appeared to be. nowhere. All that she could see was a dull, light blue aura. But another voice came to her. This was not within her head, but it was close. It was crying.  
  
"Hello?" She walked closer to the sound of the voice. A little boy with short black hair knelt on the ground, crying.  
  
"I'm all alone." he said.  
  
"E-excuse me." Sakura asked. "What's wrong? Where is this?"  
  
The boy ignored her, or maybe he didn't even hear her. "No one likes me. No one ever plays with me." He slammed his fists down hard onto the ground, tears rolling from his eyes. "I'll show them all someday! Then they'll be sorry! Everyone will wish they were my friend!" The boy got to his feet, still crying and crying, and ran off.  
  
"H-hey, please, wait! What's wrong? What's going on here?" She could receive no answer.  
  
"We all have choices in our lives." the voice of Clow Reed returned. "We guide our own destiny. The choice is ours. However, in the end, we will all make the choices we make. No matter how many choices we have, in the end, we will always make but a single choice. The roads we may take our infinite, but only one path may be taken. Only one choice will be made."  
  
"Clow?" Sakura asked. "Why.. Why can I hear you? What are you trying to tell me? Where am I? Where's Koji?"  
  
Her questions were left unanswered as the voice continued. "These choices create our future. Every decision we make now will forever change what choices we have to make another day. This is the way the world has always been and shall always remain."  
  
In front of Sakura, the young boy dropped again. He fell from above, still crying.  
  
"Ow. Where. am I?" he asked. A small rock faded into view beside him. "What is this?" He lifted up a small object lying on top of the rock.  
  
"But something has happened. The choice was taken from one. And like a ripple in a pond, ever expanding, his choice changed the futures of others, which changed the lives of others... It created a future that was not meant to be."  
  
Rain fell from the nothingness surrounding them. A coffin rested in the rain. The boy stood in front of it, crying. "Father. what. have. No. This is what I wanted. I told them they'd be sorry. And now, they are. But I'll make them sorrier. They will be truly sorry."  
  
" It created a future that should not be. A future that cannot, shall not be. The true path must be set forth."  
  
The boy faded out of view and another one faded in, beside another coffin. The rain fell more and more, harder than ever.  
  
The boy placed a white rose on the coffin. ".Good-bye forever. Sakura."  
  
Syaoran turned around, his face filled with tears, and then he faded away.  
  
Sakura's eyes widened. "Was that. my. my funeral? Is that what. what was going to happen if Syaoran hadn't.?"  
  
"Trust in yourself, Sakura. Follow your heart, and all shall be well once more."  
  
"Sakura! Sakura! Are you all right?" Sakura opened her eyes to see Syaoran staring down at her.  
  
Her eyes filled with tears at the sight of him and she hugged her as tight as possible. "I was so scared!"  
  
"It's all right, Sakura, you're okay," Syaoran said, comforting her, stroking her hair.  
  
"Where did you go, Kinomoto?" asked Meiling, kneeling down beside her. "It looked like you just fainted."  
  
Sakura turned to Eriol before answering. "Eriol, did you. did you say something to me?"  
  
Eriol shook his head. "I never said a word to you in your state. I've been watching Koji. He seems to be unconscious, but I'm not going to leave that to chance."  
  
Sakura thought for a moment. "I don't. I don't know where I was. There was a little boy. who was so lonely. and then I saw you, Syaoran." she flushed and a tear ran down her eye. "You were. you were at. my funeral."  
  
"EH?!" Meiling exclaimed. "How could you see your own funeral? I thought Shaoran went back in time and prevented that!"  
  
Syaoran nodded. "I did. It never happened because I put a stop to it."  
  
"But. there was something else," she continued. "I heard a voice. It was Clow Reed. He said. He said that something was wrong. That something was different. Something happened that shouldn't have. And I have to." She rose from Syaoran's arms and walked towards Koji.  
  
"It all makes sense now," she muttered to herself.  
  
"Hey, wait! Sakura, we all have to help seal him!" Tomoyo exclaimed.  
  
Sakura raised her hand, ordering them to stop. "I know what I must do. I understand now. I know exactly how to fix this. So, please, stay back. And thank you. Thank you all for all your help. I would never have made it this far without you."  
  
"Sakura, are you absolutely certain." Kero began.  
  
"Yes, thank you for your concern," Sakura said, turning her head towards her fallen foe. "But I know what I have to do, so, please, stand back. I don't want to have to have any of you in danger or worry about me."  
  
She stepped closer and closer to the boy. The flames of Phoenix had scorched him badly, which was plain to see. He lied spread-eagle, face down on the ground. His mirror was beside him. Its aura had died down. A portion of it was cracked already. Sakura reached into her pocket for the cards. Koji began to slowly stir and awaken.  
  
"Sakura, look out!" Syaoran shouted.  
  
She pulled a single card. "Do not worry, Syaoran-kun. I know what to do."  
  
Koji sat up and shook his head, groaning as he did so. "That stung like a- Eh?"  
  
"SWORD!"  
  
Koji stared helplessly at Sakura as she raised her new sword high. "You. you wouldn't. I mean, you're supposed to be. I can't."  
  
Sakura looked into his eyes with a great deal of sadness. "I told you. I have to seal away the evil power within you. You won't feel a thing."  
  
Koji, unable to move much from fear and pain, covered his head, unable to watch.  
  
But Sakura did not strike him at all.  
  
She grabbed the mirror lying on the ground and tossed it into the air.  
  
"Mirror of Dark and Terrible Powers, RELEASE YOUR GRASP ON THIS BOY!"  
  
With one strike, Sakura sent her sword through the Mirror of Time as it fell, cutting it in half.  
  
The mirror hung in the air for a moment as it slowly dimmed. But as soon as it faded of its power, it glowed once more, as did Koji. In a flash, the mirror pulled all of the energy within the boy out, causing him to faint. Once the mirror reclaimed its power, it began to crack. Deeper. Deeper. Until it shattered into a thousand pieces on the ground.  
  
"She. she did it!" Meiling exclaimed. "I think. we won!"  
  
With a twitch, Koji's leg began to rise, though. Then the other leg. Then his arms. He was sitting up.  
  
Syaoran jumped forward, his sword drawn. "Hold on, get back! He's still awake! Everyone stay back!"  
  
"I'm. free?" Koji began to talk to himself. He stared down at his hands as if he had never seen them before. He threw his head back, tears streaming from his eyes, which were fixated on Sakura, with a giant smile across his face.  
  
"Ms. Kinomoto, thank you. thank you. You've freed me from that endless nightmare. after all that I did to you."  
  
Syaoran dropped his sword. "This. is the same. Koji.?"  
  
Sakura knelt down to the boy and smiled. "But Koji, you didn't do anything to us. That was not you. I realized that when Clow Reed spoke to me."  
  
"What did Clow Reed tell you, Sakura?" Tomoyo asked. "Was this when you fainted?"  
  
Sakura nodded in reply. "I heard Clow's voice after I lost consciousness, and he told me that what has happened is what was not supposed to happen. Something had changed the course of destiny. That was what Koji did, but. Koji was not the one who did those acts."  
  
This was a bit more than Meiling could process. "Hold on a minute, Kinomoto, are you telling us we've been chasing the wrong psycho all this time?! And why isn't Koji attacking you now, huh? This doesn't add up!"  
  
"Well," she tried to explain once more, "Koji may have done it, but. he wasn't in control. I saw a young boy in my dreams. I saw him find a strange mirror. And then, horrible things happened. I didn't know what it meant at first, but then I remembered Koji's eyes."  
  
"I was being controlled." Koji said, unable to stare any of them in the eyes but Sakura. "I'm so ashamed. I've caused so much pain, so much suffering! There are so many people I nearly killed. And worse, there are people I HAVE killed in the past."  
  
"So, you're telling us that you weren't in control of your actions?" Eriol asked.  
  
Sakura shook her head. "That's what I figured. That mirror, the Mirror of Time, had possessed him. He-"  
  
"Please," Koji requested, "allow me to tell them." Sakura agreed. "When I was young, I hated everything. Kids always picked on me, my parents were always fighting, and I didn't know what to do. Until I got the idea that I could live on my own, and I decided to run away. I didn't know where to run away to, so, I just chose to go someplace I knew I liked. I was only 7 or so, and since I liked digging on the hillside near my home, I decided I'd live on that hill for all my life. But when I got there, the ground collapsed. I fell into a cave. I never knew a cave was there. In fact, I know I had dug into there before when I was even younger, searching for treasure. That cave wasn't there. But. I fell into it, anyway. I don't know how long I was out cold for, but when I woke up, it was the middle of the night. and I was cold and scared. But there was a light. Something shining in that cave. On the ground with me was. that mirror. I picked it up, and suddenly I wasn't scared. I didn't feel afraid at all. I even felt. powerful. I felt like I was better than all the people I was running from."  
  
Eriol thought for a second. "A cave appearing out of nowhere? Finding that mirror out of nowhere? That is no coincidence."  
  
Koji continued. "I found that the cave led back to the surface elsewhere and returned home. I think I didn't care what happened anymore. Time went on, and I cared less and less. I was happy, though, because being picked on wasn't bothering me anymore. But then one night. I remember. I had that mirror by my bed. and I heard voices. Someone telling me to do evil things. Then. I blacked out. When I woke up, my house. was on fire. My mother was carrying me. My father. he was killed in the fire. No one knows how the fire started, but I knew. I had done it."  
  
Tomoyo turned slightly pale and looked down at the ground. "Oh, my, how horrible. You poor boy." She knelt down beside him. "But it wasn't really you, I mean."  
  
"No, it IS my fault. I was the one who did it. and. for a while, I wasn't saddened by it. The arguing stopped; my parents couldn't fight. From there, things got worse. I found myself saying mean things I didn't want to, I hurt people. It was like I wasn't in control of myself. Then one day, I woke up to find I WASN'T in control at all. That mirror. it had taken me over. I couldn't control my body or my mouth. I was just forced to watch. The mirror seemed to want to gain more and more power. It made me march all over the world, finding special artifacts of great power, but nothing I found could actually increase its power enough. But. that's when I met Sadin. He saw how many of these ancient artifacts I had found and recruited me in his army to help him gain even more power. I suppose the Mirror of Time knew how much power he had and figured if I helped him, it could get more and more power very easily. But, of course, that's when you, Ms. Kinomoto, came. And you stopped Sadin's plans."  
  
"Well, I. err." Sakura blushed. "It wasn't just me! I mean, Syaoran was there at my side, and Tomoyo was a mage, as was Mia, and Kero and Yue and. err."  
  
Tomoyo giggled. "Don't be so modest, Sakura. If anyone could save all of time twice, it's you."  
  
Koji smiled a little. "Well, my counter-part, still in control of me, didn't like that too much. And the mirror decided we had to fix that. It told me that we had to find a way to revive Sadin so we could obtain even more power. But it knew that if it tried to do that, you, Sakura, would stop every plan. After all, if you could stop Sadin, surely you could stop a simple boy, powers or not. So, I set out to stop you. I knew that I was going to try and kill you, but I couldn't stop. I had very little control. I could will myself to hold back a little, but I couldn't stop."  
  
"But you didn't succeed in holding yourself back and, originally, you did kill Sakura. You shot her." Syaoran said, cringing with painful memories. "But that's when Mia showed up and we actually went back in time to prevent it from ever happening."  
  
Koji nodded. "I can't stand the thought of having succeeded. But the force controlling me couldn't stand the thought of losing. As time went on, I began to lose even the ability to hold myself back. With every victory for you all, my other self grew angrier and angrier, more determined than ever. But with that anger, my other half became more and more powerful until he realized he didn't need Sadin anymore. He, we, could become more powerful on our own. And. that's how we got here. I'm so terribly sorry. Everything is my fault."  
  
"I don't believe so," Eriol said. "When we see all the pieces, it becomes obvious this was all planned from the very beginning."  
  
"Planned?" Koji asked. "Who could possibly have arranged all of this?"  
  
Sakura consented with Koji's question. "Clow Reed told me what happened wasn't supposed to happen! If someone planned it out, wouldn't it have been destined to happen?"  
  
Eriol shook his head. "Under normal circumstances, I'd say yes. But this was no mere person who set this into motion. I can feel it."  
  
"Hoe?" Sakura reacted. "Who did set this up, then?"  
  
"The only person who could have. The only one with access to a world outside of time." A familiar voice called out.  
  
A small portal opened beside them letting a tall, lean man, dressed in a long purple and black robe over a yellow Chinese shirt enter. He wore his long black hair in a ponytail and a pair of round glasses on his face.  
  
"Clow!" Sakura exclaimed. Her entire group stood in awe, except for Eriol, who smiled, as if he knew his former self would show himself eventually.  
  
Clow Reed smiled gently. "It's good to see you, Sakura. And of course, it's always a pleasure to see all of your friends as well. I had to visit to congratulate you on your job well done. Also, I needed to explain all that has happened. Since Koji is no longer a threat and since it is very easy to move to a world of complete nothingness, I decided to come in person. I have been watching you all closely."  
  
"Hoe. That would be helpful. I've been through it all and I'm still confused," Sakura stated, rubbing her forehead as if recalling it all hurt.  
  
Clow smiled friendlily. "Don't worry, theirs is much none of you could have known. First of all, that the world as it was meant to be should have returned after Sadin's fall. However, something prevented that."  
  
Koji got to his feet. ".Me."  
  
Clow shook his head. "No, not you. You had nothing to do with it. You only think you are the cause of all the problems, but you're not. It was not your decision to make to try and revive Sadin at first. You're not the reason you weren't reversed when time was supposed to revert to normal."  
  
"Just as I suspected," Eriol muttered to himself.  
  
"So, if he wasn't responsible for this, who was?" Yue asked. "If he is still alive, he is a danger to you, Clow, and to my current master."  
  
Clow shook his head. "Oh, he's no longer alive. He is very much dead. It was Sadin."  
  
"HUH?" Syaoran exclaimed. "How is that possible? We defeated Sadin already! He doesn't exist! How could he still do this after he was defeated?"  
  
"The plan itself didn't come into effect after Sadin's demise, true," explained Clow, "but it was devised long before Sadin's plot unraveled. You see, Sadin knew one of his greatest weaknesses was his overconfidence. He could not control it, but still realizing this weakness, he set up a backup plan that would help him in his assault on our world, and act as a fail- safe in case something went awry. Using all of his power, he created a smaller source of power, the Mirror of Time, that could withstand even time itself resetting. No matter what happened, that mirror and whomever possessed it would remain untouched by time. So, should he fall out of existence. as he did."  
  
"He would still have someone with the power to manipulate time left to help him!" Syaoran finished Clow's sentence. "That explains why Koji didn't go back to normal after the world was restored from Sadin's attack."  
  
"Wait a second, when that mirror. when it had control over me," Koji wondered, "why did it decide to not revive Sadin later on?"  
  
"That's because the ultimate goal of the essence within that item was to gain power. As it failed and failed to revive Sadin, it actually became more powerful with anger and experience. Until. it realized that all it took was time for it to release its true power, which, when attached to your life essence, your spirit, could surpass Sadin someday. Sadin's little plot backfired. His own backup plan turned against him."  
  
"Unfortunately for us, he still wanted to destroy us all and was growing more powerful," Meiling muttered to herself.  
  
"I couldn't stand it any longer. At that point, when my other half started to tear a hole in the dimensions, I couldn't allow it anymore. He was going too far. I tried to regain control of myself. But it was no use. Until, that is, you spoke to me, Sakura. You could see me, deep under the cruel person I was. You saw me. That's when I gained hope. But I could still feel the power inside me. But I think my alter ego released too much energy too quickly. He couldn't control it. That gave me the time to stop myself."  
  
"And that leads up to where we are now," Tomoyo said. "It would seem we've come to the end of our adventure. Can we now get back to our own world, where we can go on?"  
  
Clow shook his head a little. "We can go back, but I'm afraid there is a slight complication. To leave the timeline as it is would be very dangerous. It could cause disasters of unimaginable problems. If the timeline remained altered, it could even affect the past, which would, of course, change the future. That must not be allowed to happen. So, I will use my power to reset all of time to before any of these problems ever happened."  
  
"But isn't that what happened when Sadin was defeated?" Syaoran asked. "And things still turned out this way!"  
  
"There is a difference this time," Clow explained. "This time, no memories shall remain. None of us, not even myself, shall recall there ever being a Sadin, or Koji being possessed. We shall all forget these troubles that shall never exist."  
  
"You mean, though, we won't remember helping each other? We won't remember what we've learned?" Sakura asked.  
  
"What of our powers? Tomoyo has developed hers. And let's not forget the Clow Cards, which have all become Sakura Cards now," Keroberos said.  
  
Clow sighed. "I'm afraid the card will have to be changed once more."  
  
"Hoeee. all that hard work." Sakura sighed even louder than Clow.  
  
"Don't worry, Sakura," Syaoran reassured her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "If you can change the cards while being attacked by time traveling demons, I'm sure you can do it on somewhat more normal terms."  
  
Sakura turned her head to Syaoran and smiled, her look of sorrow fleeing. "Thank you, Syaoran. With you by my side, I think I can do it again, too." His face turned cherry red at the compliment.  
  
Tomoyo took her jewel necklace in her hand and released the energy within, returning to her normal human form. "I think I'll be glad to no longer be fighting. I'm very glad to have gotten the chance to help Sakura-chan in battling, but I prefer to help in ways that are far more important, like making sure Sakura-chan always has the proper costumes for her special missions!" Tomoyo's eyes glowed with bright stars at just the thought of the costumes she'd now have time to work on.  
  
Kero laughed. "I don't think any amount of magic of any sort could ever change you, Tomoyo."  
  
"Awww, but we also worked so hard on some things lately!" Meiling screamed, stomping forwards. "We only JUST got Shaoran to admit his feelings for Kinomoto-san!"  
  
"Hoe?" Sakura tilted her head, looking confused.  
  
Syaoran's face turned bright red in both rage and embarrassment. "MEILING- CHAN! I DIDN'T TELL HER THAT I LOVED HER YET!"  
  
"OHOHOHOHOHOHO!" Meiling laughed evilly. "But you just did right now!"  
  
Syaoran's eyes shrunk. He turned to see Sakura's eyes doing the same, her face bright red, and she was unable to look at him back. "Hoeee."  
  
Syaoran growled, trying to hide his embarrassment. "THAT WAS A DIRTY TRICK!"  
  
"So. you. like me?" Sakura said, staring at the ground, avoiding eye contact.  
  
"I. I. Errr. well." Syaoran stuttered, trying to find the right words. "Remember I asked you to always let me be by your side?" She nodded. "Well, that's partially because you're my friend but also. it's because. I. I."  
  
A brief silence.  
  
"Because I really do love you, and I want to protect and help you however I can."  
  
Both of their faces turned redder and redder with every passing second.  
  
"I. I don't. know what to say." Sakura said.  
  
Not a sound came from anyone else except for the faint whirring of Tomoyo's video camera and the swirling of the stars in her eyes (though as to where she stored the camera while fighting and if she realized it would be erased with time. none can say).  
  
"Except. when I am with you, Syaoran, I do feel better. I do feel safer. I think. So. I think. I think I love you, too."  
  
Everyone smiled, even Yue and Spinnel.  
  
"Love is such a beautiful thing, but not even I can foresee it," Eriol said.  
  
"But I'm afraid now comes the time we must say farewell for now and return to the way things were," stated Clow.  
  
"So soon? Right after such a touching scene?" Tomoyo asked, snapping out of her happy trance.  
  
"I'm afraid so," Clow replied.  
  
Koji walked over to Sakura and hugged her. "I truly wish we did not have to say good-bye. So soon after you could see the real me, after all you've done. I only regret we could not see each other in our real lives, outside these circumstances. I can never repay you for what you've done, and I wish you only happiness wherever you may go. Thank you."  
  
Sakura took her head out of the clouds momentarily to respond. "I wish we could meet again, too. But, even if we can't remember these times. as long as people can be friends within their hearts. that's all that matters."  
  
Koji smiled and stepped back. Eriol approached. "It would seem we shall return to our original tests. I'm looking forward to seeing how you fare under normal circumstances."  
  
Sakura hugged him quickly as he tried to leave. He seemed a little shocked but not at all unhappy with this display of affection. "I'm looking forward to it, too. And thank you for all the help you've given me. Without you, none of this would have been possible."  
  
Eriol simply smiled his usual charming smile and walked off.  
  
Tomoyo ran up to Sakura and hugged her tight. "Sakura-chan, I'm so proud of you! I knew if anyone could save the world so many times, it was you!"  
  
Sakura blushed with modesty. "But you all helped me so much!"  
  
Tomoyo sighed. "But still, I have some regrets. Now. I won't be able to make a video out of our adventures here or make you a special victory costume."  
  
Sakura and Syaoran face faulted. "T-Tomoyo-chan." Sakura stuttered.  
  
Tomoyo's eyes filled with her stars once more. "Just being able to make costumes for my wonderful Sakura-chan has been more reward than could ever deserve! To make up for not making enough in this world, I'm going to have to make even more for when we return home!"  
  
Sakura laughed nervously. "You really don't have to go to so much trouble, you know."  
  
"Oh, I know. But I want to." Tomoyo smiled. "I'm looking forward to being by your side as always."  
  
Sakura smiled. "Me, too." She hugged her and Tomoyo walked back.  
  
"I only wish Mia, Aerin, Takumi, Mizuki-san were here to see this, too," sighed Sakura.  
  
"Hee hee. But we ARE here," came Mia's voice into Sakura's mind.  
  
"Hoe?"  
  
"I'm using my powers to talk to you from a distance," came Aerin. "Congratulations, Sakura."  
  
"We can't do this for very long, so let me just say," Mia began, "that it's been a pleasure to work with you over all these missions. It's really sad to see it all come to an end."  
  
"Yeah, it is." Sakura said.  
  
"But no matter what, we're all going to be friends forever, right?" Mia asked.  
  
"Of course!" Sakura replied with enthusiasm. "Nothing could change that! I hope you're happy back at home when this is done."  
  
Though Sakura could not see it, Sakura could sense the smile on Mia's face. "You too."  
  
"I wish you the best as well, Sakura," stated Aerin. "Friends forever."  
  
Sakura smiled. "Friends forever. Good-bye!"  
  
"KINOMOTO-SAN!" Meiling barked, stomping over to her. "Forgetting someone?"  
  
"Hoeee! No! No!" Sakura blushed. "I was just about t talk to-"  
  
Meiling laughed. "I'm only joking. You weren't too bad out there. But, we may be friends now, but when we get back, you better be on your guard! I'm going to be testing you daily! I have to make sure you're always good enough for my Shaoran-kun!" She hung off her cousin, much to his dismay.  
  
"Hoe? What does that mean?" Sakura asked. Syaoran shrugged his shoulders, though the heavy girl was still leaning on them. She let go in a few seconds though and returned.  
  
"So, Sakura, I take it you've said your good-byes, and we shall return now?" Clow asked.  
  
Sakura looked around. "Yue, Kero, thank you for always sticking by me."  
  
"It's my job," Yue replied.  
  
"That may be so," Kero said, "but even if it weren't our duty to stay by our mistress, we'd stick by you, Sakura."  
  
"Hey, don't forget about us!" Ruby moon called out. "When we get back, don't think we'll go easy on you! We're going to make you have to work for transforming those cards!"  
  
Spinnel just sighed at his counterpart's overconfidence. "Well, in any case, it should prove interesting. But shouldn't we be going?"  
  
Sakura nodded. "I suppose we should."  
  
Clow smiled. "Well, then I wish you all luck. We shall meet again." Clow waved his hand through the air and began to channel all of his power. The world around them began to glow. Faint shadows of the world that used to be began to reappear. Buildings, trees, the school. dark shadows of them began to appear.  
  
"Ugh." Sakura and all the others fell to their knees, clutching their heads. They could feel themselves beginning to forget small details.  
  
Syaoran thought quietly to himself. He wondered. should he? Could he?  
  
"Sakura!" He called out.  
  
"Syaoran. I almost forgot. We didn't really have the time." Sakura looked away for a moment. "Did you really mean what you said? Do you really. ummm."  
  
Syaoran blushed and nodded. "I. I love you, Sakura. I really do."  
  
A tear ran down Sakura's cheek as the world turned brighter around her.  
  
"What's wrong, Sakura?" Syaoran asked.  
  
Sakura looked up, her cheeks bright red, but a giant smile across her lips. She inched closer and hugged him. "I'm just sorry we're going to forget this moment and happy it makes me. Because. I think. I really think I love you, too. I don't want to have to forget it."  
  
Syaoran smiled. The world around him was slowly being swallowed up, reverting to the way it always was.  
  
"Don't cry, Sakura. Because even if we forget, our hearts won't. And I can tell you. even if I forgot everything in my life, forgot and lost everything that was dear to me. I'd just fall in love with you all over again."  
  
And that is all there is to tell of Sakura's journeys through time. Sakura, Syaoran, Kero, Tomoyo, Yukito, and everyone else all returned to the world long before Sadin ever made any affect.  
  
Sakura, Syaoran, and Tomoyo took their picnic in the park that warm day, but no demon came to fight them. All that came towards them was a strange, blonde girl and a tall, older boy with black hair, walking by, laughing. Somehow, they seemed familiar, but that was all that was odd with the day.  
  
Sakura slept warmly that night, never awakened by the sound of one of Sadin's minions in her basement. All was as it was meant to be. No, destined to be.  
  
But in the end, even if the fond memories were forgotten, all turned out for the best still.  
  
Tomoyo did as she had promised, staying by Sakura's side, through thick and thin. Always ready with a camera and an extra outfit for any fashionable Mistress of the Cards.  
  
Eriol tested Sakura, as predicted. His traps set around the town always kept Sakura on edge. Never did any unseen forces from outside of time interrupt them.  
  
And Syaoran. well. his words did come true. But not right away. Time passed, as it always does. Months, years. All vanished with the passing of times. The Cards were changed, and Sakura had only one task left to defeat. And even then, she triumphed.  
  
"I wasn't able to tell him how I feel, after all." Sakura stood before the Void.  
  
"Card made by Clow. Leave your identity and be reborn. And come upon a new owner. in the name of SAKURA!"  
  
The young girl that stood before her dissipated, her powers flying every way.  
  
The Void was gone. But at what cost? The powers consumed the young boy, climbing up the steps in a black shield. A long, circular hole lie in the wall and floor between Sakura and the boy, revealing the night sky.  
  
"SYAORAN-KUN!" Sakura shouted, running towards him.  
  
The boy's face appeared in the shield.  
  
"I'm glad I made it in time. It seems a lot of my magical powers were still left. And, of course, since you used so many cards in one day."  
  
"Syaoran-kun."  
  
"Even if I lose this feeling, I'll. just fall in love with you again." he said with a smile.  
  
Sakura's eyes filled with tears. "SYAORAN-KUN!"  
  
The faint shadow of a Card appeared from where the Void vanished. It came to Sakura and released a blinding flash of light that could be seen from miles away.  
  
Sakura stood at one end of the hole in the stairs, crying and crying. when a voice came to her. The voice of the Void.  
  
"Please don't cry, it'll be all right."  
  
Sakura looked up and saw the Hope Card, hovering just above her, lowering itself into her hands.  
  
"Huh? That kid." Sakura recognized the Void on the Card.  
  
Sakura looked over the card and into Syaoran's eyes. "Syaoran-kun. Syaoran- kun, even if you don't feel anything towards me anymore.  
  
"I love you," Sakura finally managed to say.  
  
"You're my number one, Syaoran-kun!"  
  
He stared back at her coldly as a tear fell from her cheeks. "Me, too. Sakura." His cold stare turned into a warm smile as the night sky broke into a bright dawn, the sun rising high into the sky.  
  
All throughout the town, people began to reawaken, things could go back to the way they were meant to be.  
  
Sakura took a step back, away from the hole in the steps in front of her. "HERE I GO!"  
  
Syaoran sounded panicked. "Hey! Just wait until it returns back to normal!" he pleaded, but Sakura would have none of it.  
  
"I don't want to!" She ran as fast as her heart would allow and leaped high into the rising sun, and coming back down to Earth in Syaoran's arms.  
  
"I LOVE YOU!"  
  
The End  
  
I wish to take this time to say a few words.  
  
It feels terribly sad to finally close this fiction. A silly, often awkward fiction it might be, but to me, it has caused some of the greatest joys and pains of my life.  
  
It is through this fiction I met my best friend in the world, Aerin, who you might remember as my editor originally. When I first started, she offered to start looking over my story, Seven Years. That was about two years ago. We continued talking, and, to this day, I consider her my best friend in the world, despite the fact we live an ocean apart.  
  
Through that, I have felt the greatest pains and joys of my life. And I would not trade that for anything.  
  
I've learned and grown, and so has how I've written this story.  
  
So, I have to thank my editor, my friend Aerin. but I would also like to thank you, the reader. To be reading this means you have read both stories, and that means so much to me, for you to take your time to read this beginning writer's story. I will be continuing to write, and I hope you will continue to read. It means so much to me.  
  
So, I would like to thank, in proper order.  
  
Aerin, for staying by me and selflessly helping me every step of the way. Not to mention being an adorable and loveable friend.  
  
CLAMP, for creating one of the greatest couples I have ever seen, Sakura and Syaoran, along with so many classic shows and manga. all of which have given me so many days of joy.  
  
FF.Net for letting me place all of this here.  
  
The people at Anime-Forums.com for helping me be inspired and for reading.  
  
And most of all, I want to thank you readers again. Thank you for your patience, understanding, and criticism. This story is for you!  
  
::bows:: So, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU ALL for helping this unworthy boy. ARIGATOU! 


End file.
